Later this year, the China-developed Long March-5 rocket will be launched for the first time. It has the largest diameter and maximum carrying capacity among China's entire rocket family. Its capability is close to that of mainstream rockets in the United States and Russia.

The assembly of the new generation of Long March-5 rockets is underway in Tianjin. The new generation’s successful launch will significantly enhance China's independent ability to access space, since the rocket was designed to be used in several of the country's upcoming space exploration projects. These projects include the establishment of a manned space station, the country's next lunar probe mission Chang'e-5, and future Mars exploration. 

With a maximum payload capacity of 25,000 kilograms for low Earth Orbit and 14,000 kilograms for geostationary transfer orbit, the carrying capacity of Long March-5 is 2.5 times greater than that of the previous generation. 

The new type of payload fairing for Long March-5 utilizes the Von Karman curve and four boosters designed to reduce flight resistance, according to the chief designer of the rocket, Li Dong. 

Long March-5 has adopted 247 core technologies and used more than 10,000 spare parts. 

The rocket is 20 stories high, with a takeoff weight of about 878,000 kilograms. Its takeoff thrust totals 1,060,000 kilograms, which comes mainly from eight 120-ton liquid oxygen kerosene engines. 

Just how powerful is one 120-ton liquid oxygen kerosene engine? The maximum pressure produced by the engine reaches up to 500 atmospheres of pressure, equivalent to lifting all the water in Shanghai’s Huangpu River to the 5,000-meter-high Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, an expert explained.