China's Long March-5 Y2 carrier rocket leaves for launch site

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China's Long March-5 Y2 carrier rocket departed northern China's Tianjin Port for the launch base in southern Hainan Province on Monday.

Aboard special rocket-carrying ships, the rocket will arrive in Wenchang, Hainan Province, for the scheduled launching of the Shijian-18 communication satellite in June.

The Long March-5 Y3 carrier rocket is planned to carry the Chang'e-5 lunar probe in 2017.

Parts of the Long March-5 rocket, China's largest carrier rocket, are seen at the assembly plant in north China's Tianjin, August 18, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

As the country's strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tons in low Earth orbit and 14 tons in geostationary orbit. Its carrying capacity is about 2.5 times that of the current main model Long March carrier rockets.

The Long March-5 carrier rocket made its maiden flight in Wenchang on November 3, 2016.

Long March-5 blasted off from Wenchang in south China's Hainan province, at 8:43 p.m. Beijing time, November 3, 2016. /CFP Photo

Monday is also China's second Space Day, which was chosen to mark the anniversary of the country's first satellite launch, Dongfanghong-1 in 1970.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) launched a science class on site. Before the rocket’s departure, over 20 middle school students in Tianjin went to see it off and sent their blessings to Long March-5 Y2. They also had the opportunity to get close to the rocket and listen to the explanations by space experts, getting to know more about aerospace.

(Source: Xinhua)