China’s Long March 7A rocket explodes after lift-off

China’s Long March 7A rocket exploded shortly after lifting off from the Wenchang launch site in Hainan.

Monday's (Aug 10) mission was the Long March 7A's first failure since its unsuccessful maiden flight in March 2020.

BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) - China said a Long March 7A rocket carrying the ChinaSat-4B satellite failed after an in-flight anomaly following liftoff from the Wenchang space launch site in the southern island province of Hainan on Monday.

The failure was the “workhorse” rocket family’s second this year, as Beijing races to achieve launch parity with the US.

China said the launch of the ChinaSat-4B satellite aboard a Long March 7A rocket, failed after the rocket experienced a flight anomaly shortly after liftoff from the Wenchang space launch site on Monday.

China has suffered a rare failure of one of its newer-generation Long March rockets, losing a communications satellite after the launcher exploded shortly after take-off on Monday night. Around 8pm Beijing time, the 60-metre (197-foot) Long March 7A blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the southern island

The rocket lifted off at 8:02 pm Beijing time (1202 GMT) from the Wenchang space launch site on Monday, state news agency Xinhua said.

China says Long March 7A rocket launch failed after flight anomaly  Reuters