China's Long March 7A fails 85 seconds after Hainan liftoff
Technology
China's Long March 7A rocket ran into trouble just 85 seconds after liftoff from Hainan, leading to a mission loss, its second failure since debut.
Still, Long March 7A has a strong track record, with 16 out of 18 successful launches so far.
CZ-7A designed for heavy satellites
The CZ-7A is designed for sending heavy satellites into high orbits with a core stage powered by liquid-fuel engines, accompanied by boosters.
The failure hit during a tough part of the flight when aerodynamic forces are highest.
Right now, teams are digging through flight data to figure out exactly what went wrong.
Despite this setback, the Long March rockets remain key to China's big space plans.