At 19:30 on February 23, 2024, the Long March 5 launch vehicle lifted off from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, and precisely placed the Communication Technology Experimental No.11 satellite into the scheduled orbit, signaling a complete success of the launch mission.

Long March 5 launch vehicle is one of China’s Long March series of launch vehicles with the most powerful payload capacity in service now. It has a core diameter of 5 meters and is equipped with four boosters with a diameter of 3.35 meters, with the takeoff thrust exceeding 1000 tons. It has a payload capacity of 25 tons to the low earth orbit and 14 tons to the geostationary transfer orbit. Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology is responsible for the development of the four boosters with a diameter of 3.35 meters, which provide over 90% of the takeoff thrust for the entire rocket, serving as the main power source for the takeoff of Long March 5 launch vehicle.

During the work at the launch site, the test team of Long March 5 of SAST specially focused on the process optimization of accumulator inflation, with an aim to improve the test efficiency and streamline launch processes. Through thorough research and experimental validation, they adjusted the time for inflating the accumulator membrane box of the rocket booster module at the launch site, advancing it from the preparation stage of the vertical transfer of the launch vehicle to the unit testing stage, which effectively shortens the testing time at the launch site while ensuring comprehensive test coverage. 

Meanwhile, the test team continues to promote digitization. Through optimizing the project forms of the LDM system (Launch Digital Management System for launch vehicles), capturing physical objects across multiple platforms, and other personalized recording means, they have achieved the goals of more timely data collection, efficient utilization of collected data, and multidimensional visualization of historical data. This ensures accurate traceability and review of product testing data, effectively implementing the requirements of refined management and providing strong support for the smooth implementation of model tasks. 

This launch is the 11^th launch of the Long March 5 series of launch vehicles and the 509^th launch of China’s Long March series of launch vehicles.