Long March 3B survives lightning strike, Tianlian II-06 reaches orbit
On July 24, 2026, a Long March 3B rocket launching from Sichuan, China, was struck by lightning just after takeoff, an intense moment that was caught on camera and quickly made its way online.
Even with the stormy skies and that wild lightning bolt, the rocket kept going strong and successfully delivered the Tianlian II-06 satellite into orbit.
Tianlian II-06 handles relay and tracking
The Tianlian II-06 satellite will help China's space station and other spacecraft stay connected with Earth by handling data relay and tracking.
This was actually the 658th flight for the Long March series.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time a rocket has braved a lightning strike: NASA's Apollo 12 got hit twice back in 1969 but still made it to the Moon.
Looks like rockets have more resilience than we give them credit for.