Launch of China’s Long March-5 Y2 rocket fails

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The launch of China's Long March-5 Y2 rocket on Sunday has failed.

The cause of the anomaly that led to the mission’s failure is being investigated by experts.

The rocket blasted off at 07:23 p.m. BJT (1123 GMT) with the Shijian-18 satellite on board from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province.

However, the rocket started to malfunction shortly after take-off.

China's Long March-5 Y2 rocket blasted off on Sunday. /CGTN Photo

This was the second flight for the Long March-5 heavy-lift carrier rocket, China’s largest launcher, after its maiden mission from the same platform on November 3, 2016 and the last test for the Long March-5 series before China sends the Chang'e-5 lunar probe.

China's Long March-5 Y2 rocket ahead of take-off. /CGTN Photo

The Long March-5 is a centerpiece of the country’s long-term space ambitions, allowing China to dispatch satellites to space that are twice as heavy as payloads that can fit on earlier Long March rockets.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned to CGTN for more updates.

2313km

China's Long March-5 Y2 rocket blasts off