Reentry module of China's new carrier rocket lands safelyBeijing, June26(AZINS) A reentry module aboard China's new generation carrier rocket Long March-7, which was launched yesterday, touched down successfully today, marking another leap forward for the Communist giant's future manned space programme.

According to officials in charge of China's manned space engineering, the module landed in Badain Jaran Desert in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 3:41 pm.

Before its landing, the re-entry module, which weighs about 2,600 kilograms, spent about 20 hours in orbit, state-run Xinhua reported.

Recovery of the module laid a solid foundation for technological breakthroughs in designing future manned spacecraft.

It also means the Long March-7 has fulfilled all the objectives of its maiden flight, officials said.

The new generation carrier rocket the Long March-7 which can carry high payloads for future space missions including the space station expected to be ready by 2022 was successfully launched yesterday.

The 53-meter, 597-tonne, vertical-standing rocket was launched from Wenchang launch centre. It is a medium-sized rocket that can carry up to 13.5 tonnes to low-Earth orbit.

It uses a new liquid fuel that is environmentally friendly and less expensive, official media reports said.

It is expected it will become the main carrier for China's space missions.

Its main role in the future will be to transport cargo ships to China's planned space stations, due to enter service around 2022, as well as satellites and other spacecraft, the Xinhua report said.

According to Chinese engineers, Long March-7 rockets can hold up in gales of up to 20.7 meters per second, which is strong enough to make cars veer on the road and impede progress on foot.

The Wenchang site was completed in November 2014.

It has a launch pad for the Long March-7 and another for the new generation heavy-lift Long March-5, which has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbit, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.