China new largest carrier rocket Long March-5 is ready foe the future space missions. It was moved to its launch base in southern Hainan from northern China’s Tianjin Port.
As the China’s strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes in low Earth orbit and 14 tonnes in geostationary orbit.
The rocket is planned to carry the Chang’e-5 lunar probe in 2017 and will be used to launch China’s space station modules and Mars probes.
Instead of highly toxic propellants, the rocket uses liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and lox kerosene as fuel, making it more environmentally friendly.
Its engines can produce a thrust of more than 1,000 tonnes when taking off. It has taken researchers 16 years to develop the rocket after nearly 7,000 tests.
It was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Completed in 2014, the Wenchang launch site is the fourth of its kind in China. Being the closest site to the equator, Wenchang boasts considerable latitudinal advantages.