A Chinese rocket burst apart moments after launch on Monday, dealing a fresh setback to Beijing’s push to challenge Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the fast-moving commercial space race.
Video from the scene showed the Long March 7A erupting in flames just 85 seconds after lifting off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the southern island province of Hainan.
Clips circulating on social media captured a sudden fireball lighting up the sky, followed by a plume of grey smoke as fragments appeared to tumble back toward the ground.
Singapore-based Channel NewsAsia also broadcast footage showing spectators looking on in shock as the rocket failed shortly after take-off.
China’s state news agency Xinhua confirmed the failure, saying: “The rocket experienced an anomaly during the flight and the launch mission failed.”
Officials said the launcher was destroyed, and an investigation has been opened to determine what caused the malfunction.
Elon Musk, whose SpaceX has become the benchmark for reusable rocket launches, responded to footage of the explosion on X with a brief assessment: “Rockets are insanely hard.”
He later followed up with a more conciliatory message, writing: “I hope they have a speedy recovery.”
The failure comes as China pours billions of dollars into its rapidly expanding space programme in a bid to achieve what President Xi Jinping has called the country’s ‘space dream’.
A Chinese rocket exploded shortly after take-off as Beijing raced to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
Dramatic footage shows the Long March 7A rocket bursting into flames just 85 seconds after blasting off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan on Monday
Singapore-based broadcaster Channel NewsAsia shared footage of awestruck crowds watching the explosion
Videos shared on social media showed a fiery ball erupting in the sky before a cloud of grey smoke formed and debris appeared to fall towards the ground
A modified Long March-7 carrier rocket, carrying the Zhongxing-4B satellite, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on August 10, 2026
Numerous private and state-owned Chinese firms are working to close the gap with Musk’s SpaceX, while Beijing has set its sights on becoming a world leader in space technology by 2050.
China successfully landed a reusable rocket for the first time in July, according to its space agency, marking a major step towards cutting launch costs.
It is also aiming to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, putting it in competition with the United States and its Artemis programme.
Monday’s failure was the first involving the Long March 7A since its maiden flight in March 2020, when the rocket also malfunctioned after launching from Wenchang.
China has since carried out hundreds of missions using its Long March family of carrier rockets.
The Long March 7A is a medium-lift rocket primarily used to send communications satellites into high orbit, rather than deploying China’s vast constellations of satellites in low-Earth orbit.
Monday’s doomed payload was identified as Zhongxing-4B, also known as ChinaSat-4B.
It belongs to the same satellite series as ChinaSat-4A, which was launched in 2024.
High-orbit communications satellites can provide broadcasting and telecommunications services across huge areas, including remote regions beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
However, it is not immediately clear whether ChinaSat-4B was intended to have the same role, customers or capabilities as its predecessor.
The failure comes at a crucial time for China’s space programme, with Beijing preparing for its ambitious Chang’e-7 lunar mission from Wenchang.
Chinese authorities have said the mission is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026, with observers identifying a possible launch window later this month.
Chang’e-7 will target the Moon’s south pole, including permanently shadowed craters where scientists believe water ice could be trapped.
But experts said Monday’s explosion is unlikely to have a major impact on the lunar mission because Chang’e-7 will use the much larger Long March 5 rocket.
Blaine Curcio, founder of Orbital Gateway Consulting, described the failure as ‘not a great development’ for the Long March 7A programme, but experts said it was unlikely to derail China’s wider launch ambitions.
