Watch: Chinese rocket explodes shortly after liftoff from Wenchang spaceport
A Chinese Long March 7A rocket carrying the ChinaSat-4B satellite suffered a mission failure and exploded shortly after launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site. Authorities are currently analyzing the cause of the flight anomaly.
Why it matters
Space launch failures impact satellite deployment schedules and provide insight into the reliability of China's evolving aerospace infrastructure.
A Chinese Long March 7A rocket carrying the ChinaSat-4B satellite exploded shortly after liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China on Monday, news agency Reuters reported.According to footage circulating on social media, the rocket exploded near the coastal spaceport about 85 seconds after liftoff.The rocket lifted off at 8.02 pm Beijing time but encountered a flight anomaly shortly after launch, leading to the failure of the mission, according to state news agency Xinhua.The report said the cause of the anomaly was being further analysed.The incident marks the first known failure of the Long March 7A since its maiden flight in March 2020.
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