(Yicai Global) Nov. 12 -- China is set to launch its first medium-lift carrier rocket featuring a solid and liquid fuel engine in 2020.

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology confirmed plans to launch the Long March 6A payload at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, in south China's Guangdong province.

The rocket features modularized, combined and serial designs and the combination of different numbers of solid boosters and liquid core stages will help to make launches more cost-effective.

The Long March 6A will feature vertical assembly and 14 days of testing are planned. It adopts a two-stage semi-configuration, and a liquid core bundled with four solid boosters to achieve solid and liquid dual fuel.

Operators are evacuated 30 minutes before the launch of the mainstream carrier rockets while the operators of the Long March 6A are evacuated to the rear of the launch area before the filling of low-temperature propellant, which takes place four hours ahead of launch. The low-temperature liquid oxygen filling, gas supply, aiming and other launching actions are achieved via remote automatic control.

The landing area of the Long March 6A is also 75 percent smaller than those of conventional rockets, which greatly reduces space requirements, improves safety and efficiency.

Editor: William Clegg