China's Long March 8A rocket prepares for maiden flight

China's self-developed Long March 8A carrier rocket, the country’s primary launch vehicle for future medium and low Earth orbit missions, is transported to the launch center in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 9, 2024. (Photo/China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology)

(ECNS) -- China's self-developed Long March 8A carrier rocket, the country’s primary launch vehicle for future medium and low Earth orbit missions, was transported to the launch center in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province on Monday for maiden flight in January 2025, according to its developer China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).

"The modified Long March 8A Y-1 rocket is designed to meet the launch requirements of large-scale constellation networks in medium and low Earth orbits," said Chief Designer Song Zhengyu. "It features advanced performance, low cost, high reliability and rapid launch capability", he added.

The Long March 8Q Y-1 rocket boasts a payload capacity of about 7 metric tons to a 700-kilometer solar synchronous orbit with 4.2-meter and 5.2-meter-diameter fairings. The debut flight m will make a significant contribution to the country's low-Earth orbit satellite network.

Development of the Long March 8A rocket took 28 months, during which 44 large-scale ground tests were completed, overcoming multiple key technical challenges, said Xiao Yun from CALT.