China rocket launch fails after ‘flight anomaly’, reports of explosion
A Chinese rocket carrying a communications satellite failed in its launch, state media said, attributing the failure to a “flight anomaly” as reports and videos suggested the spacecraft had exploded in mid-air. Beijing has ploughed billions of dollars into its space programme in recent years to achieve what President Xi Jinping calls the country’s “space […]
On Monday, August 10, 2026, a Chinese rocket carrying a communications satellite experienced a critical failure shortly after liftoff, state media reported. The Long March 7A carrier rocket, which was scheduled to launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China's Hainan province, experienced an "anomaly" during its flight, according to Xinhua, the state news agency.
The rocket was carrying the Zhongxing-4B communications satellite at the time of the incident. Channel NewsAsia, a Singapore-based broadcaster, posted a video on Instagram showing the rocket exploding into flames around 85 seconds after liftoff, leaving behind a cloud of grey smoke as debris fell to the ground. The cause of the failure is currently under investigation.
This marks the first major launch failure for China's space program, which has invested billions of dollars in recent years to achieve President Xi Jinping's "space dream." China is aiming to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, a goal that the United States is also pursuing through its Artemis program.
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