Broader implications if so
However, if the cause is due to the first stage’s main engine, the YF-100, there could be broader implications for China’s space program. The YF-100 is by far the most commonly used rocket engine in China’s space program. The engine, fueled by liquid oxygen and kerosene, has a thrust of 270,000 pounds at sea level.
It has powered the Long March 7 and newer Long March 7A variant for the last decade. This rocket performs a variety of tasks for China’s space program, from communications satellite launches to boosting the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft that ferries supplies to the Chinese space station in low-Earth orbit.
The broader concern for China’s space program is that the YF-100 engine also powers other rockets. As many as nine Chinese rockets, from the Long March 5 to Long March 8 vehicles, used various amounts of YF-100 engines. Even new rockets, such as the Long March 10, use modified variants of the YF-100 technology.
May delay Chang’e 7
