China launched a new test communication satellite on Thursday in a pivotal step to validate technology essential for next-generation orbital connectivity speeds and reliability.
The Communication Technology Test Satellite No 25 was sent into orbit on a Long March 5 rocket launched from the Wenchang spaceport in the southern island province of Hainan at 3.30pm on Thursday.
“The satellite will be mainly used to verify multi-band, high-rate satellite communication technologies,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The mission is the 11th flight for the Long March 5 series and its first launch of the year.
The Long March 5 has a carrying capacity of 25 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit and 8.25 tonnes to trans-lunar injection, suggesting that the satellite deployed in this mission was relatively heavy.
The choice of Wenchang remains strategic for heavy payloads.
Located closer to the equator than China’s inland launch sites such as Jiuquan in the northwest or Xichang in the southwest, Wenchang enables the rocket to harness the Earth’s rotation, increasing payload capacity by about 15 per cent.
Its coastal location also permits the delivery of large rocket stages by sea, bypassing the constraints of rail and road transport.
Crowds of tourists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and the United States were at the Wenchang Space Viewing Centre to see the launch.
The mission proceeded through a narrow launch window on Thursday following an unexplained postponement from Wednesday. While lift-off occurred in clear skies, the weather shifted rapidly, with the sky turning overcast within 10 minutes of the ascent.
At the moment of lift-off, columns of water ejected from both sides of the launch pad vaporised instantly, absorbing the immense heat and intense sound waves from the engines and creating a spectacular mushroom cloud.
The Long March 5 is a two-stage cryogenic rocket powered by four liquid-fuel boosters. The core stage uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, while the boosters burn kerosene and liquid oxygen.
The rocket stands 63.2 metres (207 feet) tall and measures 5 metres in diameter.
According to the rocket’s developer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the mission “used a payload fairing 5.2 metres in diameter and 18.5 metres tall. First flown in December 2023, this configuration enhances the rocket’s ability to perform various missions.”
At 18.5 metres, the fairing is second only to the Long March 5B’s 20.5-metre version. A larger fairing provides more internal volume.
“Nine technical improvements were implemented on this mission to increase operational reliability,” the rocket developer said.
“The inspection and launch procedures were optimised, reducing the rocket’s time on the launch pad from six days to four days,” it added. “This improves the rocket’s resilience to Hainan’s hot, humid conditions and extreme weather risks.”
In 2017, the Long March 5 Y2 mission had a launch failure because of engine problems, but all subsequent missions have been successful.
The next launch is expected to be the Chang’e‑7 lunar mission from Wenchang in August.
On May 28, a giant New Glenn rocket built by US aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin exploded during an engine-ignition test, severely damaging a launch pad in Florida.
According to a Nasa official, repairs to the launch pad could take until 2028, potentially affecting America’s Artemis moon landing programme.
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