Long March 2E | Optus B2
Status: Failure | Launched: Dec 21, 1992 11:21 UTC
Failure reason: Structural failure of payload fairing or satellite 48 seconds after launch destroyed the satellite. The launcher continued its flight to low earth orbit, where it successfully jettisoned the debris. The cause of the failure has never been identified with certainty.
Launch Provider & Rocket
- Provider: Ministry of Aerospace Industry (Government)
- Rocket: Long March 2E — Long March family
Mission
Australian communications satellite built by Hughes Space and Communications Company in California.
- Type: Communications
- Orbit: Geostationary Orbit (Direct-GEO)
Launch Site
- Pad: Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)
- Location: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
- View on map
Launch data sourced automatically from the Launch Library 2 API. Last refreshed: 2026-08-23T21:01:01.732974+00:00.