Chinese rocket explodes after launch, destroying communications satellite
A Chinese Long March rocket exploded less than 90 seconds after lifting off, destroying a communications satellite in a rare failure involving one of the country’s newer-generation launch vehicles.
The unmanned Long March 7A launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan island at about 8 p.m. Monday, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The 60-meter (197-foot) rocket was carrying the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite toward high Earth orbit.
Videos posted on social media showed the rocket erupting into a fireball shortly after takeoff. Both the rocket and satellite were lost over the South China Sea.
Space observers said a major problem may have activated the rocket’s flight termination system, which is designed to destroy a vehicle if it veers off course or poses a threat. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the explosion.
China’s state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed the failed mission, saying the rocket experienced an “anomaly during flight.” An investigation is underway.
The satellite was reportedly worth more than 1 billion yuan, or about $148 million, making it one of the most expensive communications satellites built by China, according to the SCMP.
The Long March family is the backbone of China’s space program and is used for most of the country’s orbital missions, including the launch of communications and Earth-observation satellites, crewed spacecraft and lunar probes.
The Long March 7A is part of a newer generation of rockets developed to carry heavier payloads into high orbits.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
