China's Long March 7A mission ends in failure after in-flight anomaly

China's Long March 7A rocket carrying the ChinaSat-4B satellite failed after liftoff from Wenchang due to an in-flight anomaly; the satellite did not reach orbit and the cause is under investigation. The setback is the first failure for the Long March 7A since 2020, but officials and analysts say it is unlikely to derail other high-orbit launches or the planned Chang'e-7 lunar mission while investigators review potential shared components or operations.