China comes back from 2020 rocket failure with Long March 7A and satellite payload launch
- Technology verification satellite Shiyan-9 was sent to geosynchronous orbit
- China plans to construct Tiangong Space Station through 11 launches carried out this year and next year
China’s next-generation Long March 7A blasted off from its Wenchang launch site in the southern province of Hainan early on Friday, one year after a failed attempt.
The launch sent a technology verification satellite, the Shiyan-9 developed by China Academy of Space Technology, into geosynchronous orbit, matching the Earth’s rotation.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China’s main space contractor, confirmed the launch was successful on its official social media account 40 minutes later.
It came after a launch failure in March 2020. A loss of pressure occurred after first-stage separation, leading to engine malfunction. That was the first launch of the CZ-7A, or Long March 7A.
CASC plans to carry out between three and five CZ-7A launches a year by 2025.
The success on Friday was seen as a breakthrough for China because the Long March 7A can increase the payload weight to geosynchronous orbit from 5.5 tonnes to 7 tonnes, according to CASC.