Roaring rocket lifts satellite into space

The Long March 5's future missions include enabling China's fifth and most sophisticated lunar expedition, as well as placing parts of the country's manned space station into orbit.

"In 2020, we will use the Long March 5 to launch the Chang'e 5 probe to the moon and also send a rover toward Mars," Wang Xiaojun said. "Rockets to fulfill these missions are in the assembly and testing phases."

China will continue to be the world's most frequent user of carrier rockets this year after gaining the title in 2018, with 33 successful launches this year.

Next year is also expected to be a busy one for the nation's space launch industry. A host of new types of rockets, such as the Long March 5B, Long March 8, Smart Dragon 2 and Kuaizhou 11, will make their debuts.