What lessons can be learned from the failure of the Chang San Yi rocket’s first flight 20 years ago?

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According to CCTV, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center is a launch site that has witnessed China’s successive advancements and successful launches in the field of space exploration. It is the main launch site among China’s four major space launch sites for commercial space missions, and it also serves as a key hub for deep-space exploration in China; all of China’s Chang’e satellites sent on lunar exploration missions have been launched from here. However, failures and setbacks have also occurred here. On February 15, 1996, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center witnessed the launch of an international commercial satellite; it was also the first flight of China’s Long March 3B rocket. What was initially considered a straightforward launch turned out to have an outcome that surprised everyone present. At the entrance of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, there is such an open area. This is the location where the rocket crashed following the failed first flight of Chang 3B in 1996. 20 years have passed, and this place remains like a healed scar, bearing witness to the failures in China’s space program back then as well as to its difficult progress. Li Jinghong, deputy chief designer of the Class-III rockets of the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: The rocket took off from the launch tower and landed directly on a slope; we could see barbed wire in that area. An explosion occurred on it. In front of this cooperative building, I saw our President Long; he was sitting on a wooden box, looking very worried. Because this is a very important launch for our model, and it is also very significant for our Long March rockets. Academician Long Lehao, chief designer of the carrier rocket series at the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: It’s because of February 15, 1996. Because through great efforts at that time, we managed to secure a launch service contract from the International Communication Satellite Organization to launch an American satellite. It is with our rocket series that a foreign satellite is launched for the first time, broadcast live around the world. Before launch, of course, there is full confidence; it’s all under control. One wouldn’t dare to launch casually if it wasn’t certain. According to the rules, it should take 12 seconds to turn; but after they all took off together, it started turning after just 3 seconds, and gradually began to tilt. By 6 seconds, it had already passed over that and gone above the top of the launch tower. Right after that, I asked why Why? Why? I’ve been wondering ever since – was it a design error? Is it a manufacturing defect, or something else? Find out the reason as soon as possible. For these reasons, Long Leihao and the researchers lit candles and used emergency lights to start searching throughout the night; some say that Long Leihao went gray-haired in just that one night. Academician Long Leihao, chief designer of the carrier rocket series at the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: It was a really tough night to get through; work involved nothing but data – organizing data and analyzing it. Going gray overnight is a bit of a literary exaggeration; it’s true, however, that at that time the turning of one’s hair to snow white accelerated even further. Through such agonizing nights, the development team spent over a month, and eventually, the cause of the launch failure was identified. The problem lies in one solder joint. Academician Long Leihao, chief designer of the carrier rocket series at the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: There is probably a defect in the quality of the manufacturing process. Two different metals are welded together – what is the diameter? It’s only a fraction of the thickness of our hair; signs of detachment appear as early as three seconds before takeoff. As soon as the 1802 rocket is ignited and starts vibrating, this wire, this connection point, breaks apart quickly. The tragic accident dealt a severe blow to the entire space industry, pushing China’s commercial launch services to rock bottom; it also made the rocket developers realize once again the complexity and precision required in space engineering. Academician Long Lehao, chief designer of the carrier rocket series at the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: Failure is success that was just short of achieving its goal, and success is failure that was just short of not happening. If that wire had failed another 1,500 seconds later, that is, around 25 minutes later, this launch would have been an absolutely brilliant and successful one. It’s a pity that it fell short by just about 1,500 seconds