Long March-5 Y2 Carrier Rocket Moved to Launch Area

China completed the vertical transfer of the Long March-5 Y2 carrier rocket to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on Monday in preparation for sending a communication satellite into space in early July. The carrier rocket, which is equipped with the Shijian-18 communication satellite, arrived at the launch pad at around 11:00. The mission slated for July will be the second of the Long March-5, which made its first flight from Wenchang in November last year. During the mission, the rocket will further test its core technology, accumulate data and provide support ahead of the launch of the Chang'e-5 lunar probe in the second half of this year. The Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tons in low Earth orbit and 14 tons in geostationary orbit. Its carrying capacity is about 2.5 times that of the current main model Long March carrier rockets. The Long March-5 integrates top space technologies, including non-toxic