China's first reusable space rocket crashed during testing – SCMP

China's first reusable rocket, Deep Blue Aerospace's, likely crashed during testing. This was reported... reports South China Morning Post, citing an unnamed source familiar with the matter, as well as satellite data.

The accident occurred at the company's testing ground in Inner Mongolia between the end of July and the beginning of August.

Satellite images show traces of fire near the launchpad.

A source at the agency confirmed that the flight "ended in failure." According to him, the rocket was undergoing vertical takeoff and landing tests.

During such maneuvers, the spacecraft takes off vertically and attempts to land back in the same place or nearby, which is a crucial step in the development of reusable launch systems.

The agency notes that traces of the explosion are visible in satellite images hundreds of meters from where the rocket was supposed to land.

According to the media, this suggests that the rocket likely veered off course shortly after launch and crashed during its landing attempt.

During testing in September of last year, 2024, the Deep Blue rocket lost control during its final descent, making an emergency landing on the evacuation pad and damaging the upper part.

In March, the company announced that a full orbital launch of the two-stage rocket was planned for mid-2025.

• July 2nd in China tests of a new reconnaissance drone were conducted, which is carried by a 155 mm artillery shell. Before impact, the drone separates from the projectile and adjusts the subsequent fire.