Watch: China's Long March 7A rocket explodes seconds after launch
What's the story
China's Long March 7A rocket, a key player in the country's space program, exploded soon after liftoff on Monday. The incident occurred at the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island and was captured on video. The rocket erupted into a massive fireball just 85 seconds into its flight.
Twitter Post
The rocket was carrying a dual-use satellite
China's Long March rocket launching an important military/civilian dual use satellite exploded during its launch from Hainan as curious kids were watching. A bad day for their scientists. Better luck next time. pic.twitter.com/RTVvcfpzGH
— Aravind (@aravind) August 10, 2026
Official acknowledgment
Investigation launched into the cause of explosion
The state-run Xinhua news agency confirmed the failure three hours after the launch, stating that "the rocket experienced an anomaly during flight."
However, it did not provide any further details or clarification on what might have caused this incident.
The cause of the explosion is currently being investigated.
Social media response
Videos of the launch mostly restricted to state-affiliated content
On Chinese social media, videos of the launch were mostly restricted to state-affiliated content. User-uploaded videos appeared to be removed or deprioritized from searches on popular platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin.
The incident could have implications for China's future space missions, including the delayed launch of Zhuque-3, China's first serious attempt at a reusable launch rocket.
Rocket profile
About Long March 7A rocket
The Long March 7A rocket, designed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is a satellite delivery vehicle.
This was to be its 18th mission; it had only failed once before during its maiden flight in 2020.
The three-stage rocket measures nearly 60m in length and can carry a payload of seven metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), some 35,405km above Earth's surface.