Long March 5 / 5B
Overview
China's most powerful operational rocket; the heavy-lift workhorse that launches Tiangong station modules (5B), Chang'e and Tianwen deep-space missions, and large GEO satellites.
Operational since its 2016 maiden flight from Wenchang; selected to launch the Chang'e-7 lunar south-pole mission on the Y14 vehicle, which arrived at Wenchang on July 13, 2026 for assembly and testing ahead of a targeted August 24-31, 2026 launch window. That window carries added risk: an August 10, 2026 Long March 7A failure during its first-stage/booster joint burn triggered a mandatory investigation into the shared YF-100 kerolox engine that also powers the Long March 5's boosters, and CASC has not yet said whether the Long March 5 will be formally cleared to fly before the investigation concludes. A sibling Long March 5B variant flew successfully on August 13, 2026 (an eighth GuoWang satellite batch), a modest reassuring sign for the family even without a formal clearance announcement.