BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-8A carrier rocket successfully conducted its maiden flight on Tuesday, sending a group of low Earth orbit satellites into space from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in the southern Hainan Province.

The satellite group is the second of its kind and will form an internet constellation. It was launched at 5:30 p.m. (Beijing Time), and then entered its preset orbit successfully. The launch was the 559th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

The Long March-8A was developed to meet the launch requirements of large-scale constellation networks in medium and low Earth orbits, according to Song Zhengyu, chief designer of the Long March-8A at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).

"Together with the basic configuration of the Long March-8 carrier rocket and its strap-on, booster-free serial configuration, it forms the Long March-8 series of carrier rockets," Song said.

He noted that the series has 3-tonne, 5-tonne and 7-tonne payload capacities for sun-synchronous orbits, significantly enhancing China's launch capabilities for medium and low Earth orbit satellite networks.

The Long March-8A innovatively integrates the functions of the satellite support structure, the adapter frame and the instrument module in a multi-functional module, successfully reducing the rocket's weight by 200 kilograms and improving its payload efficiency, according to Song.

The rocket retains the core first stage and boosters of the Long March-8, while its core second stage features a newly developed universal hydrogen-oxygen final stage with a 3.35-meter diameter, paired with a 5.2-meter-diameter fairing.

This unique configuration gives the Long March-8A a distinctive, large-headed appearance, providing more room for satellites. As a result, the rocket can support a wider variety and larger volume of satellites, significantly enhancing its mission adaptability.

The universal hydrogen-oxygen final stage is capable of carrying more fuel and incorporates a range of advanced technologies. These innovations boost the rocket's payload capacity significantly, decrease the time required for satellites to enter orbit, optimize fuel efficiency, and extend the operational lifespan of satellites, said Fan Chenxiao, a designer at CALT.

Liu Lidong, another designer at CALT, said that the rocket's final stage -- using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as fuel -- has a high specific impulse characteristic, allowing the rocket to achieve significant thrust with a relatively low amount of fuel. Enditem

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