China is gearing up to launch its newly-developed Long March-8A Y1 rocket in January 2025, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s ambitious space exploration program.
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the rocket was packaged and loaded onto a ship on Monday. It is en route to the Wenchang Satellite Launch Site, located in Hainan, a tropical island province in southern China.
The Long March-8A is poised to become the primary rocket for China’s future missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), enhancing the country’s capabilities in satellite deployment and space exploration.
This new rocket is a derivative of the Long March-8 model, specifically designed to support large satellite constellation missions. “It is powerful, low-cost, reliable, and easy to launch,” said Song Zhengyu, chief designer of the Long March-8 rocket. “It will make major contributions to the building of China’s low-orbit satellite network.”
The development of the Long March-8A Y1 rocket took 28 months, during which 44 large-scale ground tests were conducted to ensure its performance and reliability.
This upcoming launch underscores China’s commitment to expanding its presence in space and advancing its technological capabilities, signaling exciting developments ahead in global space exploration.
Reference(s):
China set to launch its new Long March-8A rocket in January 2025
cgtn.com
