The Chinese space industry encountered double failure on March 16, 2022, when two separate launches failed within a 12-hour period. The first was the inaugural launch of the Hyperbola-2 rocket, developed by private Chinese company Interstellar Glory Space Technology (also known as iSpace). The second mishap involved the Long March C4B rocket, launched by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a state-owned entity. Both rockets were carrying satellites that were lost as a result of the failed launches.
The Hyperbola-2 rocket, a two-stage vehicle powered by liquid oxygen and methane, was aiming to deliver several small satellites into orbit. It took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert but reportedly failed to reach orbit. iSpace confirmed the failure, stating that the rocket had “an anomaly” during the flight.
Later that day, the Long March 4B rocket, carrying the Gaofen-3 02 satellite, also failed to reach orbit. This rocket was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the Shanxi Province. The Gaofen-3 02 satellite was part of the China High-Resolution Earth Observation System (CHEOS), designed for land survey, disaster relief, agricultural planning, and other applications. The cause of the failure is currently under investigation.
In other spaceflight news, Rocket Lab, a leading American launch provider, reported a setback with their Neutron rocket development. The company had to pause work on the first stage of the Neutron rocket after a tornado damaged their production facility in Long Beach, California. Rocket Lab stated that it would take a few weeks to repair the damage and resume operations.
These events highlight the challenges and risks inherent in satellite launches and spaceflight. The Chinese failures underscore the difficulty of achieving a successful launch, even for established players in the space industry like CASC. For Rocket Lab, the incident underscores the impact of terrestrial events on space activities. Despite these setbacks, all three organizations remain committed to their respective missions and are taking steps to address the issues that led to these failures.
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