Viral video: Drone footage shows Chinese rocket exploding during landing attempt; watch
The high-altitude test, which featured vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL), was part of the company's efforts to advance spaceflight capabilities
Deep Blue Aerospace's latest test of its Nebula-1 rocket ended in an explosion during the landing attempt. Notably, the company still considers the mission a success. The rocket achieved 10 out of the 11 goals set for the mission, and marked significant progress in their development of reusable rocket technology.
The high-altitude test, which featured vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL), was part of the company's efforts to advance spaceflight capabilities. The Nebula-1 rocket performed well during its rise. However, the landing phase encountered problems, which led to a catastrophic failure.
Despite the setback, Deep Blue Aerospace stressed that the majority of objectives were successfully met. The company released drone footage, and highlighted the rocket's strong rise and the challenges it faced during the landing.
According to reports, experts are analysing data from the test to determine what went wrong. Deep Blue Aerospace sees this test as a key step toward becoming a major player in China's growing commercial space industry. The company is also working on securing funding and further developing its reusable Nebula rocket series.