Tianbing, one of several Chinese private space rocket companies to gain prominence in recent years, in April 2023 launched another reusable rocket — the Tianlong-2 — fueled by coal-based kerosene.

But Space Pioneer has enjoyed some big successes before Sunday’s snafu – in April 2023, it launched the Tianlong-2 to became the first private Chinese firm to send a liquid-propellant rocket ...