1 of 2 | A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the ChinaSat 3B satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site, Hainan Province, China, 20 May 2025. Photo by Zhang Liyun / XINHUA / EPA
Aug. 11 (Asia Today) -- China and Japan produced sharply contrasting results in their space programs this week, with a Chinese Long March 7A rocket failing Monday and Japan successfully launching an H3 rocket carrying a navigation satellite Tuesday.
China generally holds an advantage over Japan in the scale and record of its space program after decades of sustained national investment that has produced a series of major achievements.
The results on Monday and Tuesday, however, went in Japan's favor.
China launched a modified Long March 7 rocket carrying the Zhongxing-4B communications satellite at about 8:02 p.m. Monday from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province.
