Скачать или смотреть Chinese Kuaizhou-1A rocket launch fails

Emerging space power China faced a setback today in what would have been its 51st orbital launch. A Kuaizhou-1A solid rocket failed after liftoff on Dec 15, with the loss of a pair of commercial satellites to test navigation enhancement for autonomous driving.

The Kuaizhou-1A light-lift solid rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 9 p.m. Eastern Dec. 14, as indicated by airspace closure notices.

Chinese state media confirmed the launch failure hours later, tersely stating that the launch had failed and the specific reasons are being further analyzed and investigated.

The flight carried the first two satellites for Geespace, a subsidiary of automaker Geely. The pair were intended to test navigation assistance and connectivity for autonomous driving, according to earlier statements.

The failure is a blow to commercial launch service provider Expace, a subsidiary of giant state-owned missile and defense contractor China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). CASIC is a separate entity to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which is the country’s main space contractor and operator of the Long March rockets.

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Voiceover: Vikram Barhat
Credit: CMSA