China Rocket Launch Fails Shortly After Liftoff
A Chinese rocket carrying the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite failed shortly after launching from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China on Monday.
The rocket broke apart about 85 seconds after liftoff, according to reports, after experiencing an unexpected malfunction.
“The rocket experienced an anomaly during the flight and the launch mission failed,” Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, said. The agency said the cause of the failure is under investigation.
Videos of the launch reviewed by experts showed the rocket breaking apart at a relatively low altitude and speed. This indicates the satellite did not reach orbit, and no debris is believed to have entered orbit.
The Long March 7A is a Chinese launch vehicle primarily used to carry satellites into high orbit. Monday’s launch on August 10 was the rocket’s 18th mission and its second failure since its debut in 2020. Before the latest incident, the rocket had completed more than a dozen successful missions.
The failure also resulted in the loss of ChinaSat-4B, a communications satellite intended for high-orbit operations. The satellite belongs to the same series as ChinaSat-4A, which supports telecommunications and broadcasting services.
The incident comes as China continues to expand its space program and prepare for future missions. China has been preparing for its Chang’e-7 lunar mission, planned for later this year. However, the failure is not expected to directly affect the mission. Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, said the damage of the incident seemed limited based on the public information that is currently available. The Chang’e-7 mission will use a different launch vehicle, the Long March 5 rocket.
Investigators are working to find whether the failure was limited to the rocket or whether manufacturing or launch-site operations contributed to the incident.
