Published : 2026-11-03

On 3 November 2016, China's first large-scale carrier rocket, the "Long March 5", was successfully launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan.

At the time, the Long March 5 was the rocket with the greatest height, largest volume, largest take-off mass, and largest carrying capacity developed by China. The Long March 5 has a height of 57 metres, as tall as a 20-storey building, a body diameter of five metres, a take-off mass of 870 tonnes, and its carrying capacity is more than 2.5 times that of the "Long March 3B" rocket.

The successful maiden flight of the Long March 5 marked China's entry into the ranks of the world's heavy-tonnage rocket launchers, significantly enhancing China's ability to access space.