Nation plans to resume Long March 5 flights in July

China plans to resume use of its largest carrier rocket, Long March 5, this year amid a tight launch schedule expected to make the country the world's biggest source of space launches for the second year in a row.

The third mission of Long March 5 is scheduled to take place in the second half of July at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province. Preparatory work is proceeding well, according to Yang Baohua, deputy general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's top space contractor.

"Overall work for the resumption of Long March 5's service is going smoothly, though some improvements, especially those on the rocket engine, still need to be done," Yang said at the State-owned space conglomerate's headquarters in Beijing. "The goal of resuming its flight in July appears to be achievable."

Use of the Long March 5 was temporarily suspended last year after a failure occurred during one launch.

The July mission will place the SJ-20, an 8-metric ton technological demonstration satellite, into a geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is the first based on China's new-generation satellite platform, the DFH 5, and will be used to verify several key satellite technologies, he said.

Yang also noted that the rocket is expected to conduct its fourth mission before the end of this year as part of the Chang'e 5 mission, the country's fifth lunar expedition.