Watch the Launch

Demo Flight

Overview

Destination: Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Mission: Test Flight

Sun-Synchronous Orbit Launch Area 120 Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

First launch of the Tianlong-2 and first launch for the Chinese private company Space Pioneer. It carried a dummy payload and the iTaikong Science cubesat to SSO for technology demonstration and public outreach Earth observation purposes.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • April 2, 2023, 9:27 a.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 31, 2023, 9:11 a.m.

Rescheduled for April 2 per new NOTAMs.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 30, 2023, 2:45 p.m.

Launch apparently delayed with related NOTAMs cancelled.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 30, 2023, 12:42 p.m.

Launch window extended.


Cosmic_Penguin • March 28, 2023, 4:06 p.m.

Launch delayed per NOTAM cancellation and insider rumors.


Tianlong-2

Family:
Configuration:

Tianlong-2 is a medium-sized, 3 stage rocket powered by RP-1 and liquid oxygen, with payload capability of 2 tonnes to LEO and 1.5 tonnes to SSO. Tianlong-2 has a liftoff weight of 150 tonnes, liftoff thrust of 190 tonnes and initially uses 3 YF-102 expander cycle RP-1/LOX engines on the first stage each with a thrust of 63.3 metric tonnes. The second stage uses 1 TH-11 staged combustion RP-1/LOX with a thrust of 30.6 metric tonnes. 7 TH-11 engines will be used for the 1st stage of subsequent vehicles. The third stage uses 1 TH-31 NTO/MMH hypergolic fuel engine with 3000 N thrust and 8 x 150 N RCS thrusters. The Tianlong-2 is the first Chinese RP-1-fueled private orbital rocket to attempt an orbital flight.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    32.8 m
  • Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    3.35 m
  • Launch Mass
    150.0 T
  • Thrust
    1863.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Tianlong-2
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Tianlong-2
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    2000.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    1500.0 kg

Space Pioneer

Space Pioneer

(SP)

CEO: Kang Yonglai Founded: 2015 Successes: 1 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

Space Pioneer is a Chinese private space launch company based in Beijing. It was founded in 2015 by Kang Yonglai.

WIKI

Related News

SpaceNews

China’s Space Pioneer reaches orbit with liquid propellant rocket

Space Pioneer has become the first Chinese private launch firm to achieve orbit with a liquid propellant rocket.

SpaceNews

China’s Space Pioneer reaches orbit with liquid propellent rocket

Space Pioneer has become the first Chinese private launch firm to achieve orbit with a liquid propellant rocket.

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Launch Area 120


Falcon 9
Success
4 days, 15 hours ago
Starlink Group 10-25
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 1 hour ago
MTG-S1
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Second of EUMETSAT's third generation of weather satellite.


New Shepard
Success
1 week ago
NS-33
West Texas Suborbital Launch Site/ Corn Ranch - Corn Ranch, Van Horn, TX, USA

NS-33 is the 13th crewed flight for the New Shepard program and the 33rd in its history.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 15-7
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 26 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


H-IIA
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
GOSAT-GW (Ibuki GW)
Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1 - Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

GOSAT-GW (Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite Greenhouse gases and Water cycle), also known as Ibuki GW and formerly known as GOSAT 3, is JAXA's nex…


Electron
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Symphony In The Stars
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1B - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

'Symphony In The Stars' is the first of two dedicated missions on Electron to deploy a single spacecraft to a 650km circular Earth orbit for a confid…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 10-34
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Get The Hawk Outta Here (4x HawkEye 360)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

HawkEye 360 is a a space-based civil global intelligence satellite network using radio frequency (RF) technology to help monitor transportation acros…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Starlink Group 10-16
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 4 days ago
Axiom Space Mission 4
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

This is a Crew Dragon flight for a private company Axiom Space. The mission will carry a professionally trained commander alongside three private ast…