Space Pioneer

Space Pioneer (Chinese: 天兵科技), also known as Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd., is a Chinese aerospace company developing reusable orbital rocket technology—both launch vehicles and liquid rocket engines—to access the market for low-cost space launch services. The company is aiming to meet launch requirements for both the Chinese national satellite internet project and also the CNSA solicitation for resupply of the Tiangong space station.^[1]

The stated mission of Space Pioneer is to "pursue new breakthroughs in technology and performance, [and] to select a technological path based on the needs of the commercial market to improve launch efficiency and reduce launch costs."^[2]

History

Space Pioneer was founded in 2015^[3] by Kang Yonglai^[2]

The company completed two funding rounds in 2019, including a ZJU Joint Innovation investment,^[3] to continue liquid bipropellant engine development of the Tianhou series of rocket engines.

In April 2020, the company raised US$14 million in order to complete development of its 30 tf (66,000 lbf) liquid rocket engine Tianhuo-3, which had begun igniter hot fire tests in 2019.^[3] This was followed in September with a "multiple hundreds of millions of yuan" (¥millions RMB) Series A capital raise.^[2]

The company secured US$30 million venture capital funding in a pre-B funding round in July 2021. The funds will be used to complete initial development of the Tianlong-1 reusable launch vehicle, a kerolox-propellant vehicle with a payload capacity to orbit exceeding 3 tonnes (6,600 lb), during 2021–22.^[1]

Technology

Space Pioneer is developing reusable spaceflight technology rather than the traditional expendable rocket technology developed by the national governments of every spacefaring nation prior to the 2010s, including China. Both launch vehicles and liquid rocket engines are being designed for reuse.

Rockets

Tianlong-1 is a kerosene-liquid oxygen (kerolox) fueled vehicle using the Tianhuo-3 engine, with a payload capacity to low Earth orbit exceeding 3 tonnes (6,600 lb).^[1]

Tianlong-2, another launch vehicle designed by the company, will enter service in 2023.^[4] It is 32.8m tall, and it can lift up to 2t to LEO and 1.5t to 500km SSO.^[5]

Engines

Tianhuo-1

Tianhuo-1 (TH-1) was the initial Space Pioneer rocket engine, with hot-fire ground testing completed before 2020.^[2]

Tianhuo-2

Tianhuo-2 (TH-2) was developed subsequent to Tianhuo-1, with the first hot fire test of the engine was in early 2020.^[3]^[2]

Tianhuo-3

Tianhuo-3 (TH-3) is a kerolox liquid-bipropellant rocket engine with 30 tonnes-force (66,000 lbf) of thrust. It is intended to be the main engine for the Tianlong-1 launch vehicle.^[3] The engine had its first hot-fire test in December 2020, with a 50-second duration ground test run.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Jones, Andrew (27 July 2021). "Chinese rocket company Space Pioneer secures major funding ahead of first launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Chinese Commercial Rocket Startup Space Pioneer Secures Series A". China Money Network. 17 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Jones, Andrew (14 April 2020). "Space Pioneer raises $14 million to develop green liquid rocket engines". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
^ China 'N Asia Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (16 October 2022). "The maiden launch of Tianlong-2 is planned in 2023" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 October 2022 – via Twitter.
^ China 'N Asia Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (16 October 2022). "Finally we have more data of the mysterious Tianlong-2: 32.8m tall 5.7m D3.35m fairing 190t liftoff thrust with 7 TH-11(?) 1 300KN closed-cycle kerolox TH-11 vacuum in 2nd stage TH-31 upper stage for payloads deployment 2t to LEO 1.5t to 500km SSO" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 October 2022 – via Twitter.
^ "Tianbing technology's "Tianhuo 3" 30 ton liquid rocket engine has completed its first test run". EqualOcean. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

[sn20210727-1] Jones, Andrew (27 July 2021). "Chinese rocket company Space Pioneer secures major funding ahead of first launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[cmn20200917-2] "Chinese Commercial Rocket Startup Space Pioneer Secures Series A". China Money Network. 17 September 2020. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.

[sn20200414-3] Jones, Andrew (14 April 2020). "Space Pioneer raises $14 million to develop green liquid rocket engines". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[4] China 'N Asia Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (16 October 2022). "The maiden launch of Tianlong-2 is planned in 2023" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 October 2022 – via Twitter.

[5] China 'N Asia Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (16 October 2022). "Finally we have more data of the mysterious Tianlong-2: 32.8m tall 5.7m D3.35m fairing 190t liftoff thrust with 7 TH-11(?) 1 300KN closed-cycle kerolox TH-11 vacuum in 2nd stage TH-31 upper stage for payloads deployment 2t to LEO 1.5t to 500km SSO" (Tweet). Retrieved 16 October 2022 – via Twitter.

[6] "Tianbing technology's "Tianhuo 3" 30 ton liquid rocket engine has completed its first test run". EqualOcean. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

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In development	Amur Antares 330 Ariane 6 Bloostar Cyclone-4M Eris Firefly Beta H3 Hyperbola-2 Irtysh Kuaizhou 21 31 Long March 921 rocket 9 Miura 5 Neutron New Glenn New Line 1 OS-M 2 4 Orbex Prime Pallas-1 Red Dwarf SLS Block 1 Block 1B Block 2 Soyuz-7 Starship Terran 1 R Vega E Vulcan Zero Zhuque-2 Zuljanah
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Classes	Sounding rocket Small-lift launch vehicle Medium-lift launch vehicle Heavy-lift launch vehicle Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
This Template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future Symbol ^† indicates past or current rockets that attempted orbital launches but never succeeded (never did or has yet to perform a successful orbital launch)

Space Pioneer

Contents

History

Technology

Rockets

Engines

See also

References

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