China’s Long March-7 rocket to launch country’s first cargo spacecraft

World Today

China’s new, medium-lift rocket, the Long March-7, is being transported to Hainan province. Its maiden flight is scheduled for June, marking the official start of China’s space lab flight mission.

CCTV’s Wang Tongxuan reports.

The liquid-fueled carrier rocket departed the port of Tianjin on Sunday.

The carrier rocket will launch China’s first cargo spacecraft, and is designed to refuel China’s future manned space station. The rocket can carry 14 tons of goods, 6 tons more than other rockets.

The major task of its maiden flight is to fully test its design and compatibility.

“Its power and control systems have both been significantly upgraded. We will also load experimental equipment on it during the flight to test relevant technologies,” Chief Designer of China’s Human Space Program Zhou Jianping said.

Its maiden flight is the first of the four flight missions of China’s space lab program. It will also be the first launch mission carried out by China’s Hainan Space Launch Center.