Apstar 2

A Long March 2E carrying the Apstar-2 communications satellite broke apart about 51 seconds after liftoff from Xichang due to a payload fairing failure, destroying the satellite and killing several people on the ground.

Outcome

Failure

Orbit

Direct-GEO

Geostationary orbit

Payload to orbit

Did not reach orbit

Flight

5th

of 7 Long March 2E flights

Date and time

25 January 1995, 22:40 UTC

Rocket

Long March 2E

Builder

CASC

Launch site

Launch Complex 2 (LC-2), Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Payload

Communications

Launches in 1995

4th of 80