China set to launch its new Long March-8A rocket in January 2025

China is preparing to launch a newly-developed rocket, the Long March-8A Y1, in January 2025, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The rocket was packaged and loaded to a ship on Monday. It will then be transported to the Wenchang Satellite Launch Site in south China's island province of Hainan.

The Long March-8A is expected to become the main rocket type used for China's future space launches to the Low Earth Orbit and the Medium Earth Orbit.

The new type is a spin-off of the Long March-8 model that focuses on space missions that build large satellite constellations, according to Song Zhengyu, chief designer of the Long March-8 rocket.

"It is powerful, low-cost, reliable and easy to launch," he said. "It will make major contributions to the building of China's low-orbit satellite network."

It took 28 months to design and build the Long March-8A Y1 rocket, with 44 large-scale ground tests conducted.