China launched a Long March-8A carrier rocket on Saturday in the southern island province of Hainan, sending a group of internet satellites into space.
The rocket lifted off at 15:53 from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site. It successfully placed the payloads, the 14th group of low-orbit internet satellites, into preset orbit.
Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Long March-8A rocket is 50.5 meters long with a takeoff weight of 371 tonnes. It is capable of carrying up to 7 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.
The rocket completed its maiden flight in February this year and has since entered a high-density launch mode.
This mission marks the first time the Long March-8 series rocket has switched its primary propellant from conventional petroleum-based rocket kerosene to coal-based rocket kerosene.
The new fuel is environmentally friendly, easy to store and transport, and more cost-effective. Its performance remains stable and reliable as petroleum-based rocket kerosene, which can establish a "green power" foundation for subsequent high-frequency launch missions.
Saturday's mission is also the fifth flight of the Long March-8A rocket and the 612th launch of the Long March series of rockets.
China's Long March-8A rocket launches new internet satellite group
Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming a less common sight at major automotive events such as the Los Angeles Auto Show due to lack of government support despite robust demand in the country, according to U.S. experts.
The LA auto show, which has a history of well over a century and is deemed one of the most influential in the country, this year took place from Nov. 21-30. Over the last two decades, the event has highlighted the electrification of the U.S. auto industry, with almost every major brand showcasing multiple new EV models in previous years. However, this year, it's a different story.
With the Trump administration appearing skeptical towards the new energy sector and even ordering an end to EV subsidies and incentives, analysts note that the presence of electric vehicles is dwindling at these showcase events.
"I usually like to go to the LA auto show, because in the U.S. market, this is the one where you see most of the electric vehicles, most of the advanced clean technologies in a regular year. Not so much this year. And if you would like to see the best EVs and the newest technologies now, you need to travel to Europe, to China, anywhere else but the U.S. right now," said professor Gil Tal, director of the EV Research Center at the University of California Davis.
More than 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold in the first three quarters of 2025, higher than any prior year, with the EV market share reaching nearly 12 percent. These numbers do represent a record high for the U.S., but still lag far behind the figures seen in many other industrialized nations.
Tal attributed this to inadequate government support which is hindering the sector's growth. Back in June, U.S. President Donald Trump moved to eliminate California's nation-leading vehicle emissions standards, upending the strict rules that had become a template for states across the nation to realize their greenhouse gas ambitions.
"The federal government dropped any support for electric transportation, for clean transportation, in general, and also [is] trying to block any state support for that in the U.S., making the life of both the traditional car manufacturers and the new ones much harder, making them second guess huge investment they did in the last couple of years, especially when they see such a big difference between the U.S. market and the rest of the world," he said.
The Trump administration's recent policy changes could impact the pace of EV adoption, as a result of reduced incentives, investments, and even the infrastructure.
Despite these setbacks, some experts argue that it may just be a temporary bump in the road, and believe the general trend towards EVs in the auto sector can't be put fully into reverse.
"There's still a lot of positivity there. And I think hopefully there's some smart people that are not just going to throw what progress we've made aside, and continue with the progress," said John Rooney, co-founder of EV careers, a recruiting firm firm focused on the EV sector.
EVs less prominent at US auto show as gov't support dwindles: experts
