China's brand-new heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-5 blasts off from Wenchang Space Launch center in south China's Hainan province, at 8:43 p.m. Beijing time, Nov. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
China on Thursday launched its new heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-5 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province.
The rocket, which looked much "fatter" than other rockets of Long March series, blasted off at 8:43 p.m. Beijing Time from the launch center. The payload was successfully sent into a preset orbit about 30 minutes later.
The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence later announced the complete success of the launch.
The Long March-5 is a large, two-stage rocket with a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, the largest of China's carrier rockets.
According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the developer of Long March-5, the rocket uses two kinds of fuel, kerosene and liquid oxygen as well as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, rather than highly toxic propellant, making it more environmental friendly and less expensive.
It is the second launch from the coastal Wenchang center. On June 25, China's new generation medium-sized Long March-7 made its debut at the site. (Xinhua)
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