China launches new carrier rocket: state media

BEIJING, June 25, 2016 – China blasted off its ”Long March-7” new generation carrier rocket on a successful inaugural voyage Saturday from a new launch center, state media reported, as the country races ahead with an ambitious space program. The medium-sized, two-stage rocket is expected to become the main carrier for China’s future space missions. It can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit — a payload one and a half times greater than those of China’s existing rockets. ”The more our rockets can lift, the farther we can venture into space,” Ma Zhonghui, the rocket’s chief designer, told the official Xinhua news agency. Photo courtesy of china.org.cn   ”Long March-7′s successful maiden flight will greatly lift up China’s comprehensive space capacity, and give the country a hefty boost in building itself into a space power,” he added. Its re-entry module is scheduled to return to Earth at a [...]