An assembled Tianlong-3 first stage. Credit: Space Pioneer Hausjärvi, FINLAND — A rocket stage test firing by Chinese commercial company Space Pioneer ended in catastrophic failure and a dramatic explosion Sunday. Space Pioneer conducted what was intended to be a
[27 Jun 2024] China’s state-owned SAST performs reusable rocket test
A SAST test article during a VTVL reusable rocket test, June 23, 2024. Credit: CASC HELSINKI — SAST has conducted China’s highest altitude launch and landing test so far as the country chases reusable rocket capabilities. A 3.8-meter-diameter test article
[26 Jun 2024] China space probe returns with rare Moon rocks
Moment China’s lunar probe lands back on Earth China’s lunar probe has returned to Earth with the first ever samples from the Moon’s unexplored far side. The Chang’e-6 landed in the Inner Mongolia desert on Tuesday, after a nearly two-month
[02 Jun 2024] China’s Chang’e-6 probe successfully lands on far side of the moon
The Long March 5 rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 mission lunar probe launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China’s Hainan province on May 3, 2024. Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images/File Hong Kong (CNN) —- China’s Chang’e-6 lunar lander successfully touched
[04 May 2024] China launches first probe to collect samples from far side of Moon
The probe is set to land in the immense South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system. by Hector Retamal with Qian Ye Wenchang, China (AFP) May 03, 2024 China launched a probe on
[06 Mar 2024] China to debut large reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026
Landspace’s Zhuque-3 VTVL-1 test article during a first hop test, Jan. 19, 2024. Credit: Landspace HELSINKI — China’s main state-owned contractor plans test flights for two new large diameter reusable rockets in the next couple of years, despite existing commercial
[30 Jan 2024] China’s Chang’e-7 moon mission to target Shackleton crater
A mosaic of Shackleton Crater created by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and ShadowCam teams. Credit: NASA/KARI/ASU HELSINKI — China will attempt to land on the illuminated rim of Shackleton crater near the lunar south pole with its 2026 Chang’e-7