China’s Long March 7A rocket explodes after liftoff

China's Long March 7A rocket suffered a catastrophic failure shortly after liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Monday evening, destroying the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite it was carrying and ending a years-long streak of successful missions for the newer-generation launcher.

The Launch and Failure

The rocket lifted off at 8:02 p.m. Beijing time (1202 GMT) but exploded into a fireball less than 90 seconds into flight, according to videos posted by spectators near the launch site on the southern island of Hainan. Reuters witnesses at the scene reported seeing a bright flash high in the night sky followed by what appeared to be multiple glowing fragments. Both the rocket and satellite were lost over the South China Sea.reuters+1

State news agency Xinhua confirmed the failure approximately three hours after the launch, stating that the rocket had experienced an "anomaly during flight" and that the mission had failed. The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and its parent company, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, reposted the statement on their social media accounts.scmp

First Failure Since 2020

The incident marks the first known failure of the Long March 7A since its maiden flight in March 2020, which also ended unsuccessfully. The rocket returned to service in 2021 and had subsequently completed a series of successful missions before Monday's setback.devdiscourse+2

Jonathan McDowell from the Center for Astrophysics noted that the rocket was destroyed at a low altitude and velocity, suggesting no debris reached orbit. Space observers suggested a major anomaly may have triggered the rocket's flight termination system, destroying the vehicle.scmp+1

Implications for China's Space Program

The ChinaSat-4B satellite was intended for high-orbit communication services. China is separately preparing for the Chang'e-7 lunar mission at Wenchang, scheduled for later in 2026, though that mission uses a different rocket, the Long March 5. Chinese authorities said the cause of Monday's failure was under investigation.reuters+1