At 20:45 on December 27, amid the earth‑shaking roar at China Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, the Long March 5 — China’s most powerful launch vehicle by payload capacity — soared into space carrying Shijian‑20, the country’s heaviest satellite and the first flight test satellite based on the Dongfanghong‑5 common satellite platform. The satellite later entered its predetermined orbit.

According to Li Dong, chief designer of the Long March 5 rocket, as the "heavyweight powerhouse" among China's new-generation launch vehicles, the Long March 5 has a total length of about 57 meters, equivalent to the height of a 20-story building. It features a liftoff mass of approximately 870 tons and a liftoff thrust of around 1,078 tons. The rocket is capable of sending 20-ton-class spacecraft into low-Earth orbit and 14-ton-class payloads into geostationary transfer orbit.

International peers have commented that the technical specifications of the Long March 5 place it on a par with the United States' Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.

The Shijian-20 satellite launched in this mission is a new technology verification satellite for geosynchronous orbit. Weighing approximately 8 tons, it will validate key technologies of the new-generation large Dongfanghong-5 satellite platform, conduct verification for a host of advanced technologies, and later carry out communication and broadcasting services in geosynchronous orbit.

Boasting high load capacity, high power output, efficient heat dissipation, long service life, expandable configuration and strong environmental adaptability, the Dongfanghong-5 satellite platform can meet the demands of communication, microwave remote sensing, optical remote sensing and other payloads for satellite platforms over the next two decades.

In the future, the Long March 5 will undertake major national special missions, including lunar surface sample return, manned space station construction and Mars exploration.

Source: Aviation Knowledge, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.