China was unsuccessful in its attempt to launch its Long March-5 Y2 carrier rocket Sunday, according to the country’s official press agency.
Xinhua News tweeted Sunday that the rocket launch had been unsuccessful. “Anomaly was detected during its flight and further investigation will be carried out,” the agency wrote on Twitter.
The rocket was carrying what the government said was its heaviest satellite and was the same type of rocket expected to lead the country’s trip to the moon later this year, Reuters reports.
China has long been advancing its space program. In 2013, China became only the third country to land a spacecraft on the moon, and in 2014 the country sent a probe there.
China is also aiming to land on Mars by 2020, and become the first country to soft-land on the far side of the moon by 2018.