China has announced the failure of its attempt to launch the communication satellite "Zhongxing-4B," after the "Long March-7A" rocket experienced a malfunction shortly after its takeoff from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China.
According to Xinhua, China's state news agency, the rocket took off at 12:02 GMT, and the mission's failure was confirmed as specialists continue to investigate the technical fault.
Eyewitness reports cited by Reuters describe a bright flash in the sky following the launch, accompanied by glowing objects that appeared to be scattered debris.
Bloomberg, based on a live mission broadcast, reported that the rocket seemed to explode approximately one and a half minutes after its launch.
The rocket was carrying the "Zhongxing-4B" satellite designed for communications, with no crew on board.
This incident marks a setback for the "Long March-7A" rocket, first introduced in 2020. Despite the failure of its initial flight, the rocket returned to service and has since completed more than 12 successful missions.
The mishap follows another failure in January involving the "Long March-3B" rocket, once again spotlighting China's launch series.
Attention now turns to how this incident will affect upcoming space missions, especially since China is preparing to launch a "Long March-5" rocket in the coming weeks for a mission aimed at landing a probe near the lunar south pole.
While some components are shared between the rockets, it remains unclear if the investigation into the "Long March-7A" failure will prompt Chinese authorities to delay the planned lunar mission.