Long March Rocket Launch Fails; LandSpace Zhuque-3 Mission Postponed
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
China's Long March 7A rocket carrying the Zhongxing-4B satellite failed during launch on the evening of March 10, breaking apart approximately 85 seconds after liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province. The satellite failed to enter its intended orbit, and the rocket disintegrated during first-stage flight. The incident prompted the postponement of the LandSpace Zhuque-3遥二 commercial rocket mission, which had been scheduled for the morning of March 11 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center near the Gansu-Inner Mongolia border.
Key Points
- The Long March 7A rocket launched at night on March 10 from Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan, but the mission failed about 85 seconds after liftoff
- The Zhongxing-4B satellite failed to enter its designated orbit, and the rocket disintegrated during first-stage flight; cause analysis is ongoing
- The LandSpace Zhuque-3遥二 launch, originally scheduled for approximately 7:45 AM on March 11, was postponed following the failure
- The Zhuque-3遥二 is a two-stage large reusable liquid oxygen-methane rocket developed by the private company LandSpace
- The rocket was set to launch from Jiuquan's LC-96B launch pad in the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone
- Planned first-stage recovery at Minqin in Gansu, approximately 390 kilometers from the launch site, was the core objective
- The previous Zhuque-3遥一 flight on December 3 completed re-entry and landing approach but missed its target by about 40 meters due to an engine ignition timing delay
Why It Matters
If the Zhuque-3遥二 mission succeeds in its first-stage land recovery, it would mark China's second successful rocket recovery and represent a critical step toward commercializing reusable rocket technology in the country's private aerospace sector.
If the Zhuque-3遥二 mission succeeds in its first-stage land recovery, it would mark China's second successful rocket recovery and represent a critical step toward commercializing reusable rocket technology in the country's private aerospace sector.