A Chinese Long March rocket exploded less than 90 seconds after lifting off, destroying a communications satellite in a rare failure involving one of the country’s newer-generation launch vehicles. The unmanned Long March 7A launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan island at about 8 p.m. Monday, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The 60-meter (197-foot) rocket was carrying the ChinaSat-4B communications satellite toward high Earth orbit. Both the rocket and satellite were lost over the South China Sea. The satellite was reportedly worth more than 1 billion yuan, or about $148 million, making it one of the most expensive communications satellites built by China, according to the SCMP.