Rocket Carrying Chinese Communications Satellite Explodes Midair... First Launch Failure in Six Years

Explosion 85 Seconds After Launch, Satellite Lost
"Further Launch Delays Expected If Engine Defect Confirmed"

A rocket carrying a communications satellite, the Changzheng 7A (Long March 7A), exploded shortly after liftoff in China. While authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, launches of other scheduled rockets are being postponed in succession. If defects are found in other rocket models besides the one involved, it is expected that this could negatively impact China’s space projects for an extended period.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on August 11, the Changzheng 7A rocket launched at around 8:02 p.m. the previous day from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, exploded about 85 seconds after takeoff. As a result of this accident, the Zhongxing 4B satellite mounted on the rocket was also lost. Chinese authorities have stated that an investigation into the specific cause is ongoing.

The Changzheng 7A rocket is a three-stage liquid-fueled rocket, 60 meters tall, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). Since 2020, this launch marked the 18th attempt. After failing its first launch, this is the second time the rocket has failed. Since 2021, all launches of Changzheng A rockets have been successful, including a satellite launch on July 29.

According to the SCMP, domestic experts in China believe the upper part of the rocket broke at the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure. They also speculate that, after an anomaly was detected, the rocket’s flight termination system was activated, causing the explosion.

The Zhongxing 4B satellite lost with the rocket was a communications service satellite, anticipated to be used for military communications. Its value is reportedly around 1 billion yuan (about 210 billion KRW).

This launch failure is raising concerns that it may affect the schedules of other upcoming rocket launches. Chinese authorities have begun investigating not only the Changzheng 7A rocket, but also other rockets scheduled for launch. If additional defects are found in other rocket models, a large-scale inspection of all rockets may be initiated.

The SCMP added, “On August 24, the Changzheng 5, which uses the same class of engine as the Changzheng 7A, is scheduled to launch carrying the Chang’e 7 lunar lander. If it turns out that this failure was due to an engine defect, it could also disrupt other planned launches.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.