Thursday, June 25, 2026
China's Long March 7A returns to flight with classified satellite
A CASC Long March 7A lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site at 02:10 UTC on June 23, placing the classified TJSW-26A (Communication Technology Experimental Satellite-26A) into geostationary transfer orbit. It was the rocket's first flight since a January 2026 third-stage propulsion failure grounded both the Long March 7A and its structural sibling the Long March 3B, which itself returned to flight on June 16 - a sequence confirming CASC has resolved the upper-stage fault. The mission was the 16th Long March 7A flight and the 653rd launch of the Long March family.
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