On October 16, the Long March-8A carrier rocket blasted off from the Hainan commercial space launch site, successfully deploying the 12th group of low-orbit internet satellites, marking the 600th successful launch of the Long March series.
Long March-8A carrier rocket blasted off at the Hainan commercial space launch site. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Long March-8A was researched and produced by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, and the satellites were developed by China Academy of Space Technology, both under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
It’s notable that the Long March series’ first 100 launches took 37 years, while the latest 100 were completed in just 22 months, creating a new record for China’s aerospace industry.
Long March series have sent nearly 1,400 spacecraft into space and completed approximately 86 percent of launch tasks, with the success rate, launch frequency, accuracy and supporting capacity reaching advanced levels in the world. The series provides a solid foundation for China’s major aerospace projects such as manned space mission, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and deep space exploration.
China has developed 24 Long March models since the maiden flight of Long March-1, including eleven models in the new generation series. Between the 501st and 600th launches, new-generation rockets contributed 40 percent of all missions. The Long March series is compatible with market demand, so they are increasingly used in commercial missions including communication, remote control and navigation. As an economical and well-supported vehicle, Long March-8A has launched many internet satellites. Key progress has been made in the research of Long March-10, which is designed to carry astronauts to the moon by 2030.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
