Space Pioneer, a private Chinese space launch provider, successfully sent the new three-stage Tianlong-2 rocket on its maiden flight to orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China, at 0948 GMT on 2 April. The rocket uses LOX/kerosene as its propellants. The launch placed a cubesat-class remote sensing satellite, known as Jinta, into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 500 km. While China’s Long March rocket programme has been criticised for not de-orbiting some of its upper stages – especially for the Long March 5 (CZ-5) – Space Pioneer made a point of de-orbiting its upper stage, Tianlong-2’s third stage, which re-entered over Antarctica.
Comment by David Todd: The Tianlong-2 rocket has a significant number of new competitors in the small launch vehicle sector. Nevertheless, it has the advantage of a successful maiden flight.
Tianlong-2 flies successfully on its maiden flight. Courtesy: mp.weixin.qq.com
Jonathan Freeman and Matt Wilson contributed to this story
