Long March 5

Long March 5 (known in Chinese as Chang Zheng 5) was developed as China''s first heavy-lift launch vehicle, using a combination of liquid oxygen/kerosene strap-on boosters and a cryogenic liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen core stage. Its development took over a decade and was set back by a failure on its second flight in July 2017.

The failure, attributed to a turbopump problem in the core stage''s YF-77 engine, grounded the vehicle for over two years. When it returned to flight in December 2019, it successfully deployed a communications satellite, clearing the way for a series of ambitious missions.

Long March 5 subsequently launched the Tianwen-1 Mars mission (orbiter, lander, and rover) in July 2020, the Chang''e 5 lunar sample return mission in November 2020, and the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station in April 2021. It has established itself as the backbone of China''s most ambitious space endeavors.