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Mission Reports

China set to attempt first lunar sample return mission in four decades

November 22, 2020 Stephen Clark

Chinese scientists and engineers are counting down to launch of a heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket Monday with the Chang’e 5 mission, an ambitious attempt to land on the moon, drill samples from beneath the lunar surface, and return the material to Earth.

Mission Reports

China launches robotic mission to orbit, land, and drive on Mars

July 23, 2020 Stephen Clark

A heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket propelled China’s first Mars landing mission toward the Red Planet on Thursday after launching from a seaside spaceport on Hainan Island, the second of three international Mars probes expected to depart planet Earth this month.

Mission Reports

China moves massive rocket into place for ambitious Mars shot

July 21, 2020 Stephen Clark

China’s heaviest rocket has rolled to its launch pad for liftoff Thursday with the country’s first Mars landing mission, an ambitious attempt to place an orbiter around the Red Planet and a robotic rover on the Martian surface in early 2021.

Mission Reports

Experimental Chinese cargo return capsule malfunctions during re-entry

May 6, 2020 Stephen Clark

An experimental cargo return craft launched as a secondary payload on China’s powerful Long March 5B rocket malfunctioned during its return to Earth on Wednesday, while an unpiloted prototype for the country’s next-generation crew capsule continues raising its orbit before its scheduled landing Friday, Chinese officials said.

Mission Reports

China’s first Long March 5B rocket launches on crew capsule test flight

May 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

Flying without astronauts on a demonstration flight in Earth orbit, a test model of a next-generation Chinese crew capsule lifted off Tuesday on top of a heavy-lift Long March 5B rocket, the same launcher configuration that will loft segments of China’s planned space station.

Mission Reports

China to debut new version of powerful Long March 5 rocket this week

May 4, 2020 Stephen Clark

A prototype for China’s next-generation human-rated spacecraft — flying on a test flight without astronauts — is scheduled to ride a new version of the country’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket into orbit this week.

Mission Reports

China announces failure in first launch of new Long March 7A rocket

March 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese Long March 7A rocket failed to place a secret payload into orbit Monday, casting doubt on planned flights by the country’s other launchers that use similar engines.

Mission Reports

Prototypes for new Chinese crew capsule and space station arrive at launch site

January 24, 2020 Stephen Clark

The next flight of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket will debut a new configuration designed to launch modules for a Chinese space station. But a demonstration launch of the Long March 5B booster scheduled as soon as April will instead carry a prototype of China’s next-generation deep space crew capsule into orbit on an unpiloted test flight.

Mission Reports

Long March, Soyuz and Falcon rockets topped 2019’s launch leaderboard

January 2, 2020 Stephen Clark

China led the world with 34 orbital launch attempts in 2019 — including two failures — followed by 22 flights from Russian-operated launch pads and 21 satellite delivery missions originating from U.S. spaceports, all of which were successful.

Mission Reports

Successful Long March 5 launch paves way for new Chinese space missions

December 27, 2019 Stephen Clark

The third launch of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket successfully delivered its satellite payload to orbit Friday, validating engine design changes after a failure on the Long March 5’s second flight, and clearing the way for the launch of a Chinese Mars rover and lunar sample return mission in 2020.

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News Headlines

  • Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from California
    October 26, 2025
  • SpaceX marks 5th anniversary of first Starlink customer with Sunday satellite launch
    October 25, 2025
  • SpaceX surpasses 2024 orbital launch record with Saturday Starlink mission
    October 24, 2025
  • Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to form new European company
    October 24, 2025
  • SpaceX expends Falcon 9 booster to launch Spainsat NG 2 communications satellite
    October 23, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on 550th Falcon 9 mission
    October 22, 2025
  • SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
    October 18, 2025
  • SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket on record-breaking 31st flight
    October 18, 2025
  • Orion spacecraft arrives at VAB ahead of stacking for Artemis 2
    October 17, 2025
  • SpaceX sends 28 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit in predawn launch
    October 15, 2025
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