Long March 5 returns to flight
Posted: Tue, Dec 31, 2019, 1:43 PM ET (1843 GMT)
China's Long March 5 returned to flight early Dec. 27. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 7:45 am EST (1245 GMT), deploying the Shijian-20 experimental communications satellite into orbit 40 minutes later. The launch was the first for the heavy-lift rocket since a July 2017 launch failure. The rocket is a critical element of China's future space plans, with launches scheduled in mid-2020 of a Mars orbiter and lander, followed in late 2020 by a lunar sample return mission. A variant of the Long March 5 needed for launching space station modules will also be tested next year.
China's Long March 5 returned to flight early Dec. 27. The rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 7:45 am EST (1245 GMT), deploying the Shijian-20 experimental communications satellite into orbit 40 minutes later. The launch was the first for the heavy-lift rocket since a July 2017 launch failure. The rocket is a critical element of China's future space plans, with launches scheduled in mid-2020 of a Mars orbiter and lander, followed in late 2020 by a lunar sample return mission. A variant of the Long March 5 needed for launching space station modules will also be tested next year.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT) Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT) How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT) Two billionaires have very different — and equally wild — visions of a future in space. Is either possible?
CNN — 5:43 am ET (0943 GMT) Rare photos show 'deeply personal' moments in space
BBC — 5:36 am ET (0936 GMT) |
