The first Long March 5, a titanic heavy-lift carrier, pierced the heavens Thursday night

China launched its first heavy-lift Long March 5 carrier rocket late Thursday, marking a new milestone in the country's space industry.

As China's first-generation heavy-lift rocket, the Long March 5 has a liftoff weight of 870 metric tons, and a maximum payload capacity of 25 tons to low Earth orbit and 14 tons to geosynchronous transfer orbit.