Testing of new rocket underway

China is conducting tests on its largest and most powerful rocket, the Long March 5, at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan province, with plans to make the first launch before the end of next year, a senior space official said.

"Engineers are testing whether the rocket's various systems can work well with the Wenchang center, and after the tests are done successfully, the Long March 5 will perform its first flight by the end of next year," said Liu Tongjie, deputy head of lunar exploration and space programs at the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, which oversees China's space activities.

The Long March 5 is the most sophisticated rocket that Chinese designers have developed, Liu told a news conference on Tuesday in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, where the administration opened a weeklong space exhibition on Wednesday. He added that the rocket is designed to conduct various missions.