CASC's Long March 7A rocket explodes after liftoff, destroys ChinaSat-4B

what happened

A CASC Long March 7A rocket exploded roughly 85 seconds after liftoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on August 10, destroying the vehicle and its ChinaSat-4B (Zhongxing-4B) communications satellite before the four side boosters and core stage completed their joint first-stage burn, per SpaceNews, Ars Technica, and Space.com. It was the Long March 7A's 18th mission since its 2020 debut, which also ended in an explosion; the vehicle had flown successfully in every mission since. Xinhua confirmed the mission had failed and said the cause is under investigation, per the South China Morning Post; CASC and its subsidiary China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology reposted Xinhua's statement. China in Space reported the YF-100 engine, used in the joint burn at the time of the failure, is under suspicion; the Long March 7A is grounded until the investigation concludes, in-production vehicles will not leave the factory for inspection, and most modern Long March vehicles (including the 6, 8, and 5 series) share the same engine.

why it matters

A months-long grounding while investigators determine the cause, as followed the vehicle's 2020 failure, would affect CASC's near-term GTO launch manifest for both military and commercial communications payloads relying on the Long March 7A; the loss is a reliability data point for satellite operators and insurers weighing China's launch-service options. Because the suspect YF-100 engine also powers the Long March 5 booster set to fly the Chang'e-7 lunar lander in the coming weeks, the investigation is a near-term watch item for that mission too, though China in Space reported backup launch opportunities run into October.

CASC's Long March 7A rocket explodes after liftoff, destroys ChinaSat-4B

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