Shijian 18 – Spaceflight Now

China resumes launch campaigns after string of failures, delays lunar mission

October 4, 2017

The launch of three experimental remote sensing satellites last week signaled the resumption of Chinese space launches following multiple rocket failures since late last year, but a senior Chinese space official has confirmed the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon remains grounded.

Launch of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket declared a failure

July 2, 2017

China’s second Long March 5 rocket fell short of orbit Sunday after lifting off from a spaceport in the southern Chinese province of Hainan, placing a cloud over the country’s plans to send a robotic sample return mission to the moon later this year.

Second launch of China’s Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket set for Sunday

July 1, 2017

China’s Long March 5 rocket is counting down to liftoff Sunday from the country’s tropical island space center with a high-power, electrically-propelled communications satellite.