Space Pioneer, a Beijing-based private launch firm, has completed a major ignition test of its TL 3 carrier rocket, establishing a national record for thrust produced by any Chinese privately developed launch vehicle.
The test took place Monday on an offshore platform in Haiyang, Shandong province. Nine TH-12 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines fired for 30 seconds, generating around 840 metric by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Sep 17, 2025
Space Pioneer, a Beijing-based private launch firm, has completed a major ignition test of its TL 3 carrier rocket, establishing a national record for thrust produced by any Chinese privately developed launch vehicle.
The test took place Monday on an offshore platform in Haiyang, Shandong province. Nine TH-12 liquid oxygen-kerosene engines fired for 30 seconds, generating around 840 metric tons of thrust. The trial confirmed the TL 3 first-stage design and subsystem integration, while also marking China's first sea-based engine ignition test.
The previous record of 769 tons was set in June by LandSpace's TQ-12A engines at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia.
The TL 3 stands 72 meters tall with a 3.8-meter diameter and weighs nearly 600 tons at liftoff. With 840 tons of thrust, it can transport 17 tons to a 500-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit or 22 tons to low Earth orbit. Engineers said it matches the capacity of SpaceX's Falcon 9 and can deliver up to 36 satellites per launch.
"Research and development of the TL 3 started in March 2023. This test checked the rocket's actual flight status and testified to its operational reliability. Its success means we have passed the major technical test before launch," said Kang Yonglai, founder and chairman of Space Pioneer.
Kang added the TL 3 is suited for deploying satellites into mid- and high-altitude orbits and delivering heavy cargo to China's Tiangong space station. Its maiden flight is targeted for later this year from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Space Pioneer has also built a Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, facility with capacity to manufacture 30 TL 3 rockets annually.
The company has advanced quickly in China's private aerospace industry. In April 2023, it became the first Chinese private firm to reach orbit with a liquid-fuel rocket when TL 2 launched successfully from Jiuquan. That mission was the first instance worldwide of a privately developed liquid-propellant rocket succeeding on its debut orbital attempt, a milestone not achieved by SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, or LandSpace on their first tries.
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