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Long March 7A launch fails, ChinaSat-4B satellite lost
The rocket exploded less than 90 seconds after liftoff, and the mission was terminated over the South China Sea, according to state media.
China suffered a rare launch failure of a newer-generation Long March rocket, losing the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite after the vehicle exploded shortly after take-off on Monday night, according to SCMP Economy.
Around 8:00pm Beijing time, the 60-metre Long March 7A launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan and began carrying the satellite toward high Earth orbit. However, less than 90 seconds into the flight, the rocket erupted into a fireball amid thick black smoke, as shown in videos posted by spectators near the launch site.
Space observers cited the possibility of a major anomaly triggering the rocket’s flight termination system, which destroyed the vehicle. Both the rocket and satellite were lost over the South China Sea.
China’s state news agency Xinhua confirmed the failure about three hours after launch, saying the rocket experienced an anomaly during flight and that the mission failed. Xinhua added that the cause is under investigation, and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and parent company reposted the statement online.