China’s Moon Exploration Program Postponed

The July failure of China’s largest launch vehicle will lead to postponing of upcoming lunar missions. This has been confirmed by a leading official of China’s space program. In a press conference during the 68^th International Astronautical Congress, Tian Yulong who is the secretary general of the China National Space Administration said that the investigation was ongoing for the July 2 failure of the Long March 5 on its second mission. It was going on with no updates on the cause of the failure.

He also added that the Long March 5 is a bigger challenge for China’s space agency. The clear understanding of the problem will be approached nearly by the end of the year. Chinese television had a live broadcast. Observers who were present at the launch noted a plume of gas late in the first stage burn. It suggested that the failure was linked to a problem with the stage’s engines or other things of its propulsion system.

By: Bhavna Sharma

Content: www.space.com