Long March 7
Overview
Kerolox medium-lift rocket designed as a next-generation workhorse; launches Tianzhou cargo freighters to the Tiangong space station.
Operational from Wenchang since 2016, providing routine Tianzhou cargo resupply for China's crewed program; a Long March 7A variant delivered the Tianlian III-01 relay satellite on July 29, 2026, Wenchang's 50th launch. On August 10, 2026 a Long March 7A broke apart about 85 seconds after liftoff carrying the Zhongxing-4B satellite - the variant's second failure ever, after its March 2020 debut - triggering a mandatory investigation into the shared YF-100 kerolox engine that also powers the Long March 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 families. CASC has not announced a root cause or a return-to-flight timeline for the 7A as of August 30, 2026, though other Long March variants have continued flying successfully throughout the investigation - a Long March 5B (Aug 13), Long March 12 (Aug 16), and Long March 6C (Aug 25, the 665th cumulative Long March mission) - which analysts read as evidence the fault is isolated to the 7A itself rather than the broader engine family.