Launch mission of Chinese satellite Zhongxing-4B fails

(ECNS) -- A satellite launch mission using a modified Long March-7 carrier rocket failed on Monday in south China's Hainan Province, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The rocket carrying the Zhongxing-4B satellite blasted off at 8:02 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan, but an anomaly occurred during its flight.

Zhongxing-4B is a communications satellite in China's Zhongxing series, designed for television broadcasting and data transmission.

The Long March 7A rocket model has a liftoff weight of 573 metric tons and a core-stage diameter of 3.35 meters, capable of placing a 7-ton spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The cause of the failure is under investigation, according to the launch site.