NEWS
Long March-4B Carrier Rocket Successfully Launches Tianhui-7 Satellite
发布时间：
2026-01-05 08:38
At 12:12 on December 30, 2025, the Long March-4B carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and successfully sent the Tianhui-7 (meaning Sky Drawing) satellite into its preset orbit, marking the full success of the launch mission.
The Long March-4B carrier rocket used for this mission is a three-stage, normal-temperature liquid-propellant carrier rocket developed under the lead of SAST. It features excellent performance and wide applicability. To accommodate different types of satellites, the rocket can adopt flexible launch configurations. It possesses the capability to launch various types of satellites to different orbital requirements, supporting either single-satellite or multi-satellite launches. Its payload capacity to Sun-synchronous circular orbit (at an altitude of 700 km) reaches 2.5 tonnes.
This mission took place during the period of the lowest annual temperatures at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The mission timeline encountered multiple instances of snowfall and temperature drops, posing severe challenges to the normal operation of the rocket and its components. SAST identified risks in advance and formulated an insulation plan for winter operations with the launch site. By taking a series of measures including temperature control via the tower's air conditioning, air supply to the engine compartment, and protection by thermal insulation covers, a cold-proof shield was built for the rocket.
Adhering to the principle that "small details make the big picture," SAST conducted a dedicated quality and safety review when carrying out the mission: First, the fundamentals for hardware safety were reinforced by conducting a thorough inspection on all system interfaces of the entire rocket; Second, common risk points at the launch site were systematically identified, and relevant contingency plans formulated; Third, lessons-learned analysis was performed based on past quality issues across various models, thereby enhancing the capabilities of risk prevention and control; Last but not the least, Focus was placed on both product status and personnel safety, with enhanced publicity of role-specific requirements and reinforced accountability in management responsibilities.
This marks the 116th launch of the Long March-4B carrier rockets, the 256th of the Long March series carrier rockets under the lead of SAST, and the 622nd of the Long March series carrier rockets.
