Chinese rocket launch fails after liftoff

Wenchang, China (CNN)The second launch of China's new-generation Long March-5 carrier rocket failed Sunday -- dealing a blow to the country's ambitious space aspirations.

Carrying an experimental communications satellite, China's largest rocket lifted off at 7:23 p.m. local time (7:23 a.m. ET) toward clear skies from the seaside Wenchang space launch center on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

But 40 minutes later, the state-run Xinhua news agency flashed a headline declaring the launch a failure -- without providing any details.

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A failure, but China is on it's way to competing in space. They are very close to perfecting a heavy lift vehicle that can carry 25 tons of cargo into earth orbit. We already had a vehicle that could carry 50 tons, not only into earth orbit, but even into a lunar orbit. It was called the Saturn V, and we left it in the scrapheap. But the Chinese won't have an edge for long. Orion will be rolling out soon, and will be able to carry between 72,000 and 136,000 kilograms, and since there are 2.2 lb in a kg, this vehicle is going to be awesome. It will be scheduled to take astronauts back to the moon in 2021, and will be used to haul the materials to build the Deep Space Gateway during the 2020's. The Deep Space Gateway is scheduled to eventually launch the Deep Space Transport, which will take humans on a trip around Mars in 2036, and send men to the surface of Mars a few years later.

So, while China has an ambitious program, ours is going to be much better. Am still rooting for China to have a successful space program, though. Conquering space is not just a job for one nation to succeed in, but a mission for all of humanity. I hope I am still alive to see mankind pull it off.

China rocket launch fails after liftoff - CNN.com

Legendary Chinese engineering quality right there.

Carjosse said:

Legendary Chinese engineering quality right there.

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Rocket launch failures happen all the time- liquid chemical propellants are pretty volatile and risky. New Zealand tried and failed to launch their first rocket this year too.

PoS said:

Rocket launch failures happen all the time- liquid chemical propellants are pretty volatile and risky. New Zealand tried and failed to launch their first rocket this year too.

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True. It's always a gamble and we have lost them too not long ago.

EnigmaO01 said:

True. It's always a gamble and we have lost them too not long ago.

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True. I remembered a while back that NASA stood for "Needs Another Seven Astronauts".

danarhea said:

True. I remembered a while back that NASA stood for "Needs Another Seven Astronauts".

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.space.com/33292-nasa-test-fires-next-generation-rocket-engine.html

This is the Orion solid rocket test 6/28/16 in Utah. Next test is unmanned beyond the orbit of the moon and back next November.

It looks like these current tech rockets will go to Mars first. Fusion is 6 years behind at ITER, not due to yield plasma until 2025 with enormous cost overruns.

Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is the other nuclear reactor, expected to yield fusion by 2021. Fusion rockets are seen by some as the next quantum step in space travel .

NIMBY said:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.space.com/33292-nasa-test-fires-next-generation-rocket-engine.html

This is the Orion solid rocket test 6/28/16 in Utah. Next test is unmanned beyond the orbit of the moon and back next November.

It looks like these current tech rockets will go to Mars first. Fusion is 6 years behind at ITER, not due to yield plasma until 2025 with enormous cost overruns.

Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is the other nuclear reactor, expected to yield fusion by 2021. Fusion rockets are seen by some as the next quantum step in space travel .

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To date no one has been able to create a sustained fusion reaction so that technology is still a pipe dream. We could go to Mars pretty quickly with the current tech we have- the answer is atomic rockets.

Ah Phoo soy solly.