China confirmed that the launch of a ChinaSat-4B satellite aboard a Long March 7A rocket failed following a flight anomaly after liftoff from the Wenchang space launch site on Monday, August 10. Witnesses observed a bright flash and glowing fragments in the night sky.
Wenchang Launch Site Liftoff and Flight Anomaly
The mission lifted off at 8:02 p.m. Beijing time (1202 GMT) on Monday, according to the state news agency Xinhua. Shortly after clearing the pad at the Wenchang space launch site, the rocket experienced a flight anomaly that terminated the flight.
Reuters witnesses at the scene observed a bright flash high in the night sky immediately following the launch. Observers then noted what appeared to be multiple glowing fragments descending, marking an abrupt end to the planned satellite deployment.
Investigation Underway Into Cause of Failure
Xinhua reported that the cause was being further analysed.
The payload for the mission was identified as the ChinaSat-4B satellite.
Operational History of the Long March 7A Family
The mission was the first known Long March 7A failure since the rocket’s maiden flight in March 2020.
Following its initial introduction, the launch vehicle returned to service in 2021. It subsequently completed a series of successful missions from the Hainan Island facility, cementing its role in China’s broader space infrastructure before this week’s unexpected failure.
Background on the Wenchang Launch Base and Rocket Architecture
The Wenchang launch base, located on Hainan Island off China’s southern coastline, features a launch pad used for the kerosene-fueled Long March 7 rocket family. Developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC) — the Chinese space program’s state-owned prime contractor — the rocket burns a combination of rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen. For its inaugural flight, six YF-100 engines on the core stage and boosters lit with a flash of orange light, lifting off at 1200 GMT (8 a.m. EDT; 8 p.m. Beijing time). Thousands of space enthusiasts crowded around the base, where authorities established eight viewing sites to host the public in a rare move for the secretive space program.
The 174-foot-tall (53-meter) rocket climbs atop more than 1.6 million pounds of thrust. During typical flight milestones, it releases its four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters at about T+plus 2 minutes, 55 seconds, to fall into the South China Sea. Moments later, the twin-engine first stage shuts down and separates, while four smaller YF-115 engines ignite on the second stage to continue the journey into space, reaching a preliminary orbit about 10 minutes after liftoff. The Long March 7 is designed to place nearly 30,000 pounds (about 13.5 metric tons) into low Earth orbit. Xinhua reported that the rocket reached an orbit with a low point of about 120 miles (200 kilometers) and a high point of about 244 miles (394 kilometers), while independent tracking data from the U.S. military showed two objects attributed to the launch orbiting Earth at a similar altitude with an inclination of 40.8 degrees.
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a division of CASC responsible for rocket development, stated that the Long March 7 will assume most of the country’s space launch needs. In development for eight years, the Long March 7 is part of a fleet designed to replace older rockets based on 1970s and 1980s technology that burn a toxic mix of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants. The vehicle is intended to receive certification to carry astronauts and send automated supply ships, such as Tianzhou cargo craft, to China’s planned space station and the Tiangong 2 space lab. Payloads on past and planned flights of related rocket configurations include a Yuanzheng 1A upper stage, a sub-scale capsule for a next-generation crew spaceship, and small satellites designated to demonstrate space junk cleanup, test communications technologies, measure Earth’s gravity field and radiation environment, and investigate satellite refueling in orbit.
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