Space Pioneer

Space Pioneer, formally Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd. (天兵科技), is a privately held Chinese commercial launch company founded in 2019 by Kang Yonglai, the former chief technology officer of LandSpace. Headquartered in Beijing, the firm develops liquid oxygen and kerosene rocket engines and medium-to-large liquid-propellant launch vehicles, with additional research and test facilities in Xi'an, Zhengzhou (Gongyi) and Zhangjiagang.

The company's flagship vehicles carry the Tianlong ("Heavenly Dragon") name. Its three-stage Tianlong-2 became the first liquid-propellant orbital rocket built by a Chinese private company to reach orbit when it launched on 2 April 2023, and is notable as the first orbital vehicle to fly on coal-based aerospace kerosene. The much larger Tianlong-3 is a partially reusable, Falcon 9-class medium-lift rocket designed to loft about 17 tonnes to low Earth orbit for China's satellite-internet constellation plans.

Backed by several billion yuan in funding and once labelled a unicorn, Space Pioneer remains an active player in China's commercial space sector as of 2026. Tianlong-3's development has included setbacks, including a static-fire accident in June 2024 and a failed maiden orbital flight on 3 April 2026, but the company continues to fly Tianlong-2 and advance the Tianlong-3 program.