Leading the charge is the Tianlong-3, a 71-metre, two-stage kerosene and liquid oxygen rocket being assembled by Space Pioneer in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province, in eastern China.
Tianlong-3 is the second most powerful rocket developed in China, surpassed only by the Long March-5B. With a payload capacity of 17 tonnes for LEO, it is designed for batch satellite deployments and could carry 30 or more satellites per launch, Jiangsu Television reported on Sunday.
“These technologies, including 3D-printed stainless steel engines and liquid nitrogen gasification pressurisation, were developed specifically to meet the ‘low-cost, high-reliability and high-frequency’ demands of internet satellite launches,” Liu told Jiangsu Television.
The first stage of Tianlong-3 is powered by nine Tianhuo-12 engines and can be used up to 10 times, according to the company’s website.
