Chinese Long March 7A rocket explodes after launch, destroys satelliteA Chinese Long March 7A rocket broke apart nearly 85 seconds after liftoff from Hainan, destroying the Zhongxing-4B communications satellite. The failure was confirmed by Chinese state media, while an investigation is underway to determine what caused the rocket’s malfunction. The report showed a video of the launch from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan island on Monday night that showed the rocket breaking apart nearly 85 seconds after liftoff. “Unlike other successful launches, the incident appears to have been downplayed on China’s state media with scant mention of the explosion,” the media house said. The country is locked in an intense competition with the US on multiple fronts, including reusable launch technology, moon research and satellite launches.