SPACE LAUNCH REPORT China Launch Vehicle Flight History Page 7 of 7 Comprehensive Orbital Failure List Last Update August 15, 2025 by Ed Kyle Date Vehicle ID Payload Site Result ------------------------------------------------------------------ 09/18/73 FB 1 Y2 JSSW JQ LA2B [FTO] 07/12/74 FB 1 Y3 JSSW JQ LA2B [FTO] 11/05/74 CZ 2A Y1 FSW JQ LA2B [FTO] 11/10/76 FB 1 Y7 JSSW JQ LA2B [FTO] 07/28/79 FB 1 Y10 SJ-2 JQ LA2B [FTO] 01/29/84 CZ 3 Y1 STW XC LC1 [EEO] 12/28/91 CZ 3 Y9 Zhongxing 4 (STTW-5) XC LC1 [EEO] 12/21/92 CZ 2E Y4 Optus B2 XC LC2 [LEO] 01/25/95 CZ 2E Y6 Apstar 2 XC LC2 [FTO] 02/14/96 CZ 3B Y1 Intelsat 708 XC LC2 [FTO] 08/18/96 CZ 3 Y14 Zhongxing 7 XC LC1 [EEO] 09/15/02 KT-1 Y1 Tsinghua-2 TY [FTO] 09/16/03 KT-1 Y2 PS2 TY [FTO] 08/31/09 CZ 3B Y8 Palapa D1 XC LC2 [EEO] 08/18/11 CZ-2C Y26 ShiJian 11-04 JQ 4L [FTO] 12/09/13 CZ-4B Y10 CBERS-3 TY 9 [FTO] 08/31/16 CZ-4C Gaofen 10 TY 9 [FTO] 12/28/16 CZ-2D Y39 SuperView-1 1/2 TY 9 [EEO] 06/18/17 CZ-3B/E Y28 Xhongxing 9A XC 2 [EEO] 07/02/17 CZ-5 Y2 Shijian 18 WC 101 [FTO] 10/27/18 ZQ-1 Y1 Weilai 1 JQ [FTO] 03/27/19 OS-M 01 Lingque 1B JQ TKE2 [FTO] 05/22/19 CZ-4C Y23 Yaogan Weixing 33 TY 9 [FTO] 03/16/20 CZ-7A Y1 XJY 6 WC 201 [FTO] 04/09/20 CZ-3B/E Palapa N1 XC 2 [FTO] 07/10/20 KZ-11 Y1 Multisats JQ [FTO] 09/12/20 KZ-1A Y3 Jilin 1/Gaofen 2C JQ [FTO] 02/01/21 SQX-1 Y2 Test Flight JQ [FTO] 08/03/21 SQX-1 Y5 Test Flight JQ [FTO] 12/15/21 KZ-1A Y16 GeeSAT 1A/1B JQ 43/95B [FTO] 05/13/22 SQX 1 Y4 Jilin-1 Mofang 01A(R) JQ 43/95A [FTO] 12/14/22 ZQ-2 Y1 Smartsat 1B+10usats JQ 43/96 [FTO] 09/21/23 Ceres 1 Y11 Jilin-1 Gaofen 04B JQ 43/95B [FTO] 03/13/24 CZ-2C/YZ-1S DRO A/B XC 3 [EEO] 07/10/24 Hyperbola-1 Y8 Yunyao-1 15-17 JQ 43/95B [FTO] 03/01/25 KZ-1A Unknown JQ 43/95A [FTO] 08/15/25 ZQ-2E Y3 Xingwang Test 4 JQ 43/96 [FTO] ------------------------------------------------------------------ FAILURE CAUSES Date Vehicle ID Failure Description ------------------------------------------------------------------ 09/18/73 FB 1 FB1-2 failed to orbit 07/12/74 FB 1 FB1-3 failed to orbit 11/05/74 CZ 2A Y1 2nd stg engine lost thrust 11/10/76 FB 1 FB1-7 failed to orbit 07/28/79 FB 1 FB1-10 failed to orbit 01/29/84 CZ 3 Y1 3rd stg failure 12/28/91 CZ 3 Y9 3rd stg failure 12/21/92 CZ 2E Y4 PL fairing failure 45 sec, sat xplded 01/25/95 CZ 2E Y6 Exploded 51 sec due wind shear 02/14/96 CZ 3B Y1 Crashed near pad (guidance IMU amp fail) 08/18/96 CZ 3 Y14 3rd stg failure 09/15/02 KT-1 KT1-1 3rd or 4th stage failure 09/16/03 KT-1 KT1-2 4th stage failure? 08/31/09 CZ 3B Y8 stg2 2nd burn short (gas gen burn thru) 08/18/11 CZ-2C Y26 2nd stg failure. Steering vernier failed 12/09/13 CZ-4B Y10 failed to orbit, 3rd stg cutoff early 08/31/16 CZ-4C FTO. Cause not announced. 12/28/16 CZ-2D CZ2D32 220x520km vs 510 km. Stg1 sep 7 sec late 06/18/17 CZ-3B/E CZ3B40 Stg 3 control issue. 16,357 km apogee 07/02/17 CZ-5 Y2 Stg 1 engine fail, Stg 1 burn long 10/27/18 ZQ-1 ZQ1-01 Control lost 13 sec into 3rd stage burn 03/27/19 OS-M 01 Control lost at 2nd stg ignition 05/22/19 CZ-4C Y23 Stg 3 fail. Resonance w/P/L at restart? 03/16/20 CZ-7A Y1 Possible Stg 2 failure 04/09/20 CZ-3B/E Failure during first Stage 3 burn 07/10/20 KZ-11 Y1 Stg 3 fail. Planned LEO/S 09/12/20 KZ-1A Y3 Possible liquid upper stage failure. 02/01/21 SQX-1 Y2 Disintegrated around time of Max-Q. 08/03/21 SQX-1 Y5 PL fairing failed to separate correctly. 12/15/21 KZ-1A Y16 Likely 3rd stage failure. 05/13/22 SQX 1 Y4 Planned LEO/S. Cause not announced. 12/14/22 ZQ-2 Y1 Stg 2 vernier shut down with main engine. 09/21/23 Ceres 1 Y11 Fail during first stage. Planned SSO. [CZ-2C/YZ-1S, 03/13/24] 1256 UTC. "Upper stage" (probably YZ-1S) operation "abnormal". "Disposal work" was subsequently performed. Left three objects in to-low elliptical transfer orbits. 2024-048A at 524 x 132,577 km x 27.72 deg. 2024-048B at 139.5 x 1164.8 km x 28.5 deg. 2024-048C at 136.1 x 1076.8 km x 28.5 deg. Distant Retrograde Orbit comsat experiment. Space News reported that the objects in orbit included were the CZ-2C second stage and the YZ-1S upper stage with payloads still attached and that the plan had been for YZ-1S to raise the orbit toward a near-lunar apogee (~384,400 km). [Hyperbola-1 Y8] 7/10/24 2340 UTC. Stage 4 anomaly. No orbit. [03/01/25] 1001 UTC. KZ-1A Exploded at launch, on the TEL or shortly after liftoff. [ZQ-2E Y3] 0117 UTC. Stage 2 servo battery failed, trigger self destruct. Planned LEOx50 deg. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Site Code: JQ = Jiuquan, China ------------------------------------------------------------------ Footnotes: # FTO: Failed to Orbit (EEO): Unintended Eliptical Earth Orbit (GTO): Unintended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (LEO): Unintended Low Earth Orbit "DF" = Dong Feng (ballistic missile) "FB" = Feng Bao (based on DF-5 missile) "CZ" = Chang Zheng (Long March) (CZ-2, 3, and 4 based on DF-5 missile, CZ-1 based on DF-3 missile) "KT" = Kaitouzha (based on DF-31 missile) "JQ" = Jiuquan (57-70 deg inclination orbits, recoverable payloads) "XSC" = Xichang Space Center (GTO launch site, supports LH2 stages) "TYSC" = Taiyuan Space Center (LEO polar or sun synchronous orbits) References: Jonathan's Space Report Launch Vehicle Database Encylopedia Astronautica Gunter's Space Page China Great Wall web site TRW Space Log 1957-1996, TRW Space & Electronics Group