WENCHANG, Hainan, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — China successfully launched a Long March-8A carrier rocket on Saturday from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site, sending a new batch of low-orbit internet satellites into space.
The rocket lifted off at 3:53 p.m. and later placed the payloads — the 14th group of low-orbit internet satellites — into their designated orbit. Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Long March-8A stands 50.5 meters tall and has a liftoff weight of 371 tonnes.
The rocket can carry up to 7 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above Earth. It completed its maiden flight in February and has since entered a phase of intensive launch activity. Saturday’s mission also marked the first time the Long March-8 series adopted coal-based rocket kerosene as its primary propellant, replacing traditional petroleum-based fuel. The new propellant is described as more environmentally friendly, easier to store and transport, and more cost-effective, while maintaining the same stable and reliable performance.
The launch was the fifth flight of the Long March-8A and the 612th mission in the Long March rocket family. Images released from the site showed the Long March-8A soaring into the sky as it carried the latest group of internet satellites toward orbit.
