Long March 5 rocket achieves breakthrough as tallest launch vehicle in Chinese space history

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 28 October 2025 03:47

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 27, 2025

China successfully launched a Long March 5 carrier rocket on Thursday evening, deploying the Communications Technology Demonstrator 20 satellite from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province at 10:30 pm. The mission was conducted by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's principal space contractor. The Long March 5, developed by the China Academy of Launch Veh

Long March 5 rocket achieves breakthrough as tallest launch vehicle in Chinese space history
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 25, 2025

China successfully launched a Long March 5 carrier rocket on Thursday evening, deploying the Communications Technology Demonstrator 20 satellite from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province at 10:30 pm. The mission was conducted by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's principal space contractor.

The Long March 5, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, is recognized globally as one of the world's most capable orbital rockets. The version used in this launch featured a newly extended 18.5-meter payload fairing, significantly taller than the regular 12.3-meter configuration, bringing the rocket's total height to 63.2 meters and making it the tallest rocket ever flown in China.

After launch, the Long March 5 successfully placed its payload, the Communications Technology Demonstrator 20 satellite, into its planned orbit. The satellite was constructed by the China Academy of Space Technology and is designed to validate advanced technologies for multi-band, high-speed satellite communications.

This event marks the 66th space launch by China in 2025 and represents the 602nd mission of the Long March launch vehicle family, underscoring the nation's increasingly active role in global spaceflight. The Wenchang launch site, situated on Hainan's southern coast, has become pivotal for missions requiring large, next-generation carrier rockets because of its advantageous launch trajectory and ability to accommodate oversized vehicles.

The Long March 5 program is a key element of China's strategy to boost large-scale and high-complexity missions, from ambitious lunar programs to high throughput communications platforms. With this milestone, China advances not only the scale but also the technical sophistication of its spaceflight infrastructure and national ambitions.