Hold onto your space helmets, folks! 🪐 Chinese aerospace startup Deep Blue Aerospace is gearing up for another high-stakes rocket landing test in November, despite a nail-biting setback during its recent attempt. The company’s Nebula-1 reusable rocket almost stuck the landing during its first high-altitude vertical recovery test—but a last-second hiccup left the rocket slightly damaged. Talk about a cliffhanger! 🚀
During the 179-second test flight, Nebula-1 aced 10 out of 11 critical tasks, nailing the takeoff, ascent, and descent phases like a pro. But as it hovered closer to Earth, a glitch in the engine’s thrust control caused a hard landing. \"Think of it like stumbling at the finish line of a marathon,\" explained Deep Blue’s executive president Zhao Ya. Still, the team called it a \"valuable lesson\" that’ll help refine future missions.
Experts say the test proved the rocket’s overall design is solid, and its liquid oxygen/kerosene engine passed with flying colors. Even Chinese netizens rallied behind the team, with one Weibo user cheering: \"Progress is about learning, not just winning!\" 💪
With a November retry on the calendar, Deep Blue’s journey to reusable rocket tech could reshape the new space race. Will they stick the landing next time? Stay tuned! 🌍✨
