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Lightning Strikes Chinese Rocket Seconds After Launch
A Chinese Long March 3B rocket survived a direct lightning strike just seconds after liftoff on July 23, delivering its payload safely into orbit. The dramatic launch has sparked renewed interest in how modern rockets are designed to withstand one of nature's most powerful forces.
The incident during the launch on Thursday. Pic Courtesy/CNSA
For a split second, it looked like disaster.
Then the rocket kept climbing.
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On the evening of July 23, a Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China carrying the Tianlian II-06 data relay satellite. About 30 seconds after liftoff, a bolt of lightning struck the ascending rocket, creating a dramatic flash captured by photographers and spectators.
Despite the strike, the launch never faltered.
China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) later confirmed the mission was a complete success, with the satellite reaching its planned orbit as scheduled.
If you've followed this far, here's why the lightning didn't destroy the rocket.
Modern launch vehicles are built with conductive outer structures that help electricity travel around the exterior rather than through sensitive onboard electronics, functioning similarly to a Faraday cage. Critical flight computers, guidance systems, and communications equipment are also heavily shielded against electrical interference.
The Tianlian II-06 satellite will support communications, telemetry, tracking, and command services for China's Tiangong Space Station, crewed spacecraft, and other satellites operating in low and medium Earth orbit. The mission marked the 658th flight of the Long March rocket family.
Although spectacular, lightning strikes on rockets are extremely rare.
One of the most famous examples occurred during NASA's Apollo 12 mission in 1969, when the Saturn V rocket was struck twice shortly after launch. While several onboard instruments temporarily failed, the crew restored power and the mission went on to successfully land astronauts on the Moon.
Another incident occurred in 2019, when a Russian Soyuz rocket was struck by lightning shortly after liftoff but still completed its mission successfully.
Not every rocket has been as fortunate.
In 1987, lightning struck an Atlas-Centaur rocket shortly after launch, triggering failures in its guidance system and ultimately causing the vehicle to break apart. That accident prompted NASA to develop strict Lightning Launch Commit Criteria, weather rules that determine when launches must be delayed because of lightning risks.
The latest Chinese launch has once again highlighted both the resilience of modern rocket engineering and the risks posed by severe weather.
For military and civilian space programs alike, launch reliability is more than a scientific achievement.
Communications satellites support everything from human spaceflight and disaster response to military command networks and secure data transmission, making every successful launch strategically significant.
In this case, one of nature's most powerful forces briefly interrupted the mission.
It never stopped it.
Editor's Note
Chinese authorities reported no anomalies following the lightning strike, and the Tianlian II-06 satellite was successfully deployed into its planned orbit. While modern rockets incorporate extensive protection against electrical interference, space agencies around the world continue to enforce strict weather rules because lightning remains one of the most unpredictable hazards during launch operations.
