Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Lightning strikes Chinese rocket seconds after liftoff
A CASC Long March 3B rocket carrying the Tianlian II-06 data relay satellite was struck by lightning about 30 seconds after lifting off from Xichang on July 23, an incident captured in widely circulated photos. CASC said onboard systems were unaffected and the satellite reached its planned transfer orbit, but the strike has drawn outside scrutiny of China's launch weather criteria.
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