Overview
- The Long March 7A broke apart about 85 seconds after liftoff on Monday from the Wenchang Space Launch Site and state media confirmed the mission failed and the ChinaSat‑4B (Zhongxing‑4B) payload was lost.
- Chinese space authorities have opened an investigation and are analysing vehicle telemetry and imagery while independent analysts point to a possible structural failure at maximum dynamic pressure or activation of the flight‑termination system, but no cause has been released.
- Observers including astronomer Jonathan McDowell say the rocket was destroyed at low altitude and velocity so neither the payload nor significant debris reached orbit.
- The 7A’s first stage and boosters use YF‑100 kerosene‑oxygen engines that are also used on other rockets, and reports say the failure has already prompted at least one reported delay to a Zhuque‑3 launch while engineers assess whether fleetwide checks are needed.
- The Long March 7A was on its 18th flight after returning to service in 2021 following a 2020 maiden‑flight failure, and its role placing heavy satellites into geostationary transfer orbit makes the loss consequential for China’s communications capacity and for programmes that rely on the vehicle’s hardware.