On February 15, 1996, a newly developed Long March 3B rocket, on its first launch, crashed into a hillside about 22 seconds after liftoff from Xichang with the Intelsat 708 satellite. Six people died. In April 1996, the China Aerospace Industry Corporation first outlined five requirements for guiling, “zeroing” a quality problem. In October 1997, five more followed for management, and the “double five rules” of zeroing were complete.
Technical zeroing requires an exact location of the fault, a clear mechanism, reproduction of the problem, effective measures, and the lesson applied to similar cases. Management zeroing requires a clear process, clear responsibility, measures carried out, serious handling and improved rules. From October 20, 1996, to August 31, 2009, all 75 Long March launches succeeded.