China's Long March 7A rocket explodes after launch, satellite lost

China's Long March 7A rocket experienced an in-flight anomaly and exploded shortly after liftoff on Monday, resulting in the loss of its ChinaSat-4B satellite payload. The rocket launched at 8:02 p.m. Beijing time from the Wenchang space launch site in Hainan province. The mission was unsuccessful, and the cause is currently under analysis and investigation.

Launch video indicated the rocket was destroyed at a relatively low altitude and velocity, preventing any components or debris from reaching orbit. This incident marks the first failure for the Long March 7A since its maiden flight in March 2020, which also suffered an in-flight malfunction. The rocket had completed over a dozen successful flights prior to Monday's mission.

The lost satellite, ChinaSat-4B, is part of the same series as ChinaSat-4A, launched in 2024, which provided voice, data, radio, and television transmission services. The Long March 7A is a medium-lift rocket designed for high-orbit missions. SpaceX founder Elon Musk commented on the difficulty of rocket launches, and Jonathan McDowell, an honorary professor at Durham University, provided analysis of the launch video.