Long March 7A Carrier Rocket Explosion Shortly After Launch

The Chinese Communist Party’s Long March 7A carrier rocket exploded and disintegrated less than 90 seconds after liftoff. (Video screenshot)

[People News] On Monday (August 10), it was reported that the Chinese Communist Party’s Long March 7A carrier rocket exploded and broke apart less than 90 seconds after launch. The communications satellite it was carrying was lost, and the launch mission failed.

The Long March 7A carrier rocket lifted off at around 8:00 a.m. local time from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island. Airspace closure notices had been issued in advance.

Earlier, a video filmed near the coastal launch site and uploaded to social media showed the rocket exploding approximately 85 seconds after liftoff. (Click to watch video)

It was not until three hours later that the Chinese state news agency Xinhua confirmed the failure. In its statement, it said the rocket experienced an “anomaly” during flight, the mission failed, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.

It is reported that both the rocket and the satellite fell over the South China Sea.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, which was responsible for the launch, and its parent company, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, reposted Xinhua’s statement on their social media accounts.

Given the closed nature of the CCP’s national space program, the true cause of the rocket explosion may never be determined.

Eric Berger, senior space editor at the online media outlet Ars Technica, analyzed that based on the timing of the explosion, it likely occurred during the rocket’s first-stage flight, possibly at the moment of maximum dynamic pressure as it accelerated through the lower atmosphere. The rocket may also have been destroyed by its onboard flight termination system, which is designed to detonate the rocket if it deviates from its intended trajectory.

Chinese state media China National Radio (CNR) published a brief report before and after the launch, stating that the payload was the Zhongxing-4B satellite.

According to SpaceNews, a leading global space industry news and analysis website, Zhongxing satellites with lower serial numbers are generally believed to be used for military communications.

The Long March 7A is primarily used for high-orbit missions, typically sending satellites into geostationary transfer orbit, after which the satellites maneuver themselves into geostationary orbit.

Industry Insiders Expect Possible Delay to Chang’e-7 Launch

The Long March 7A carrier rocket made its maiden flight in March 2020, which ended in an explosion. It was not until a year later that this new Long March-series rocket returned to service.

It is currently unclear how Monday’s failure will affect future missions. The rocket’s first stage and boosters both use YF-100 kerosene/liquid oxygen engines, which are also used on the Long March 5 carrier rocket.

Industry insiders speculate that if the failure is related to the engines, it could delay one of Beijing’s most important launch missions this year. The Long March 5 is currently scheduled to launch the Chang’e-7 lunar south pole landing mission on August 24.

The Chang’e-7 mission is a key part of China’s lunar exploration program. It includes an orbiter, lander, rover, and a small hopping probe. Its target is the Shackleton Crater region near the Moon’s south pole. This would be the first time any country has sent a rover to this region.

Both China and the United States are competing to explore the resource-rich lunar south pole.

Monday’s Rocket Breakup Marks Fourth Launch Failure This Year

Monday’s launch was China’s 56th orbital launch attempt in 2026 and its fourth failure this year. Confirmed failures include the January 17 launches of the Long March 3B and the Ceres-2 solid rocket, as well as the failed maiden launch of the Tianlong-3 rocket on April 3.

Chinese authorities had also planned to launch a second Zhuque-3 rocket later that day from the Jiuquan commercial launch site for its second orbital booster recovery test. The latest updates indicate that the Zhuque-3 launch has been postponed.

It is reported that Monday’s launch had originally aimed to set a speed record. Chinese media had promoted before the launch that only about 12 days had passed since the previous Long March 7A launch, which would have been the shortest launch interval for this rocket—and for all new-generation Long March series rockets to date.

(Reported by Dajiyuan journalist Lin Yan)