Long March (rocket family)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/CZ-2F_launch_vehicle.png)
The Long March family of rockets (simplified Chinese: 长征系列运载火箭; traditional Chinese: 長征系列運載火箭; pinyin: Chángzhēng xìliè yùnzài huǒjiàn) is an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China. Development and design falls under the auspices of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. The rockets are, confusingly, abbreviated both LM- and CZ- in English.
It is named after the Long March of Chinese communist history. The Shenzhou spacecraft is launched on the Long March rocket. As of 2003, the main stages and the booster rockets of Long March rockets use storable propellants with UDMH as fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide as the oxidizing agent. The upper stages of Long March 3A (CZ-3A) and CZ-3B use cryogenic fuel, Liquid hydrogen (LH2) as fuel and Liquid oxygen (LOX) as oxidizer.
The max payload for LEO is 9200kg(CZ-2F), the max payload for GTO is 5100kg(CZ-3B). LM-5 will offer more payload in future.
The Long March rocket is related to early versions of the Dongfeng missile (note that Dongfeng is the generic Chinese name for all of its land ICBMs). However, like its counterparts in both the United States and in Russia, the differing needs of space rockets and strategic missiles have caused the development of space rockets and missiles to diverge. The main goal of a space rocket is to maximize payload, while for strategic missiles increased throw weight is much less important than the ability to launch quickly and to survive a first strike. This divergence has become clear in the next generation of Long March rockets which use cryogenic propellants in sharp contrast to the next generation of strategic missiles which are mobile and solid fuelled.
The PRC launched its first satellite, known as Dong Fang Hong 1 ("the East is Red"), to Earth orbit on its own Long March space rocket on April 24, 1970, becoming the fifth nation to achieve independent launch capability. Most of the commercial satellite launches of Long March vehicles have been from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, located in Xichang, Sichuan province. Long March launches also take place from the more military oriented Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province from which the manned Shenzhou spacecraft also comes.
Early commercial launches had a spotty record. On January 26, 1995, a Long March 3B rocket veered off course two seconds after take-off from Xichang space center and exploded, killing at least 6 on the ground. On February 14, 1996, a similar failure resulted in an unknown number of casualties [[1]]. The rocket veered severely off course right after clearing the launch tower and landed in a rural village. Following the disaster, foreign media were sequestered in a bunker for five hours while, some have alleged, the Chinese military attempted to 'clean up' the effects. The Chinese Xinhua News Agency eventually reported 57 deaths, but the extent of damage observed by foreign journalists whilst being whisked away from the disaster site suggested there may have been at least 200 and upwards of 500 killed[[2]]. See also Intelsat 708. In the aftermath of the explosion, US satellite makers shared information which allowed the Chinese to determine that the problem was in the welds. However, this sharing of information was later deemed illegal by the United States, and U.S. satellite maker Loral Space and Communications was fined $14 million by the U.S. government in 2002, while admitting no wrong-doing.[1]
Since the improvements made after the 1996 accident, the reliability of the Long March rockets has been excellent, with zero failed launches. On October 15, 2003, the Long March 2F rocket successfully launched the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft/orbiter carrying the China's first astronaut into space, and on October 12, 2005, Shenzhou 6 with two astronauts; China became the third nation to send man into space on its own, after the Soviet Union/Russia and USA.
China markets launch services under the Great Wall Industrial Corporation. Its efforts to launch communications satellites were dealt a blow in the mid-1990s after the United States stopped issuing export licenses to companies to allow them to launch on Chinese launch vehicles out of fear that this would help China's military.
Launch history
No. | Booster | Date (CST, with daylight saving if applicable) | Payload | Orbit | Launch site | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CZ-1 F-01 | 24 April 1970 | Dong Fang Hong 1 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
2 | CZ-1 F-02 | 3 March 1971 | SJ-1 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
3 | CZ-2 F-01 | 5 November 1974 | FSW 0 | LEO | JSLC | Failure |
4 | CZ-2C F-01 | 26 November 1975 | FSW 0-1 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
5 | CZ-2C F-02 | 7 December 1976 | FSW 0-2 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
6 | CZ-2C F-03 | 26 January 1978 | FSW 0-3 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
7 | CZ-2C F-04 | 9 September 1982 | FSW 0-4 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
8 | CZ-2C F-05 | 19 August 1983 | FSW 0-5 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
9 | CZ-3 F-01 | 29 January 1984 | Dong Fang Hong 2 | GTO | XSLC | Failure |
10 | CZ-3 F-02 | 8 April 1984 | Dong Fang Hong 2 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
11 | CZ-2C F-06 | 12 September 1984 | FSW 0-6 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
12 | CZ-2C F-07 | 21 October 1985 | FSW 0-7 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
13 | CZ-3 F-03 | 1 February 1986 | Dong Fang Hong 2A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
14 | CZ-2C F-08 | 6 October 1986 | FSW 0-8 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
15 | CZ-2C F-09 | 5 August 1987 | FSW 0-9 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
16 | CZ-2C F-10 | 9 September 1987 | FSW 1-1 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
17 | CZ-3 F-04 | 7 March 1988 | Dong Fang Hong 2A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
18 | CZ-2C F-11 | 5 August 1988 | FSW 1-2 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
19 | CZ-4 F-01 | 7 September 1988 | Feng Yun 1 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
20 | CZ-3 F-05 | 22 December 1988 | Dong Fang Hong 2A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
21 | CZ-3 F-06 | 4 February 1990 | Dong Fang Hong 2A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
22 | CZ-3 F-07 | 7 April 1990 | AsiaSat 1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
23 | CZ-2E F-01 | 16 July 1990 | Pakistan science satellite | LEO | XSLC | Success |
24 | CZ-4 F-02 | 3 September 1990 | Feng Yun 1 simulated satellite |
SSO | TSLC | Success |
25 | CZ-2C F-12 | 5 October 1990 | FSW | LEO | JSLC | Success |
26 | CZ-3 F-08 | 28 December 1991 | Dong Fang Hong 2A | GTO | XSLC | Failure |
27 | CZ-2D F-01 | 9 August 1992 | FSW | LEO | JSLC | Success |
28 | CZ-2E F-02 | 14 August 1992 | Optus B1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
29 | CZ-2C F-13 | 6 October 1992 | Swedish Freja satellite FSW |
LEO | JSLC | Success |
30 | CZ-2E F-03 | 21 December 1992 | Optus B2 | GTO | XSLC | Failure |
31 | CZ-2C F-14 | 8 October 1993 | FSW | LEO | JSLC | Success |
32 | CZ-3A F-01 | 8 February 1994 | SJ-4 simulated satellite |
GTO | XSLC | Success |
33 | CZ-2D F-02 | 3 July 1994 | FSW | LEO | JSLC | Success |
34 | CZ-3 F-09 | 21 July 1994 | Apstar-1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
35 | CZ-2E F-04 | 28 August 1994 | Optus B3 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
36 | CZ-3A F-02 | 30 November 1994 | Zhong Xing-5 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
37 | CZ-2E F-05 | 26 January 1995 | Apstar-2 | GTO | XSLC | Failure - destroyed due to windshear |
38 | CZ-2E F-06 | 28 November 1995 | AsiaSat 2 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
39 | CZ-2E F-07 | 28 December 1995 | Echostar 1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
40 | CZ-3B F-01 | 15 February 1996 | Intelsat 708 | GTO | XSLC | Failure video |
41 | CZ-3 F-10 | 3 July 1996 | Apstar-1A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
42 | CZ-3 F-11 | 18 August 1996 | Zhongxing 7 | GTO | XSLC | Failure |
43 | CZ-2D F-03 | 20 October 1996 | FSW 2-3 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
44 | CZ-3A F-03 | 12 May 1997 | Zhongxing-6 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
45 | CZ-3 F-12 | 10 June 1997 | FY-2A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
46 | CZ-3B F-02 | 20 August 1997 | Agila-2 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
47 | CZ-2C F-15 | 1 September 1997 | Iridium | LEO | TSLC | Success |
48 | CZ-3B F-03 | 17 October 1997 | Apstar-2R | GTO | XSLC | Success |
49 | CZ-2C F-16 | 8 December 1997 | Iridium 42/44 | LEO | TSLC | Success |
50 | CZ-2C F-17 | 26 March 1998 | Iridium 51/61 | LEO | TSLC | Success |
51 | CZ-2C F-18 | 2 May 1998 | Iridium 69/71 | LEO | TSLC | Success |
52 | CZ-3B F-04 | 30 May 1998 | Zhongwei 1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
53 | CZ-3B F-05 | 18 July 1998 | Sinosat-1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
54 | CZ-2C F-19 | 20 August 1998 | Iridium 3/76 | LEO | TSLC | Success |
55 | CZ-2C F-20 | 19 December 1998 | Iridium 11/20 | LEO | TSLC | Success |
56 | CZ-4 F-03 | 10 May 1999 | FY-1C/SJ-5 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
57 | CZ-2C F-21 | 12 June 1999 | Iridium 14A/21A | LEO | TSLC | Success |
58 | CZ-4B F-04 | 14 October 1999 | ZY-1/SACI-1 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
59 | CZ-2F F-01 | 20 November 1999 | Shenzhou 1 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
60 | CZ-3A F-04 | 26 January 2000 | "Zhong Xin" ZX-22 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
61 | CZ-3 F-13 | 25 June 2000 | "FengYun" FY-2 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
62 | CZ-4B F-05 | 1 September 2000 | ZY-2 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
63 | CZ-3A F-05 | 31 October 2000 | Beidou 1A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
64 | CZ-3A F-06 | 21 December 2000 | Beidou 1B | GTO | XSLC | Success |
65 | CZ-2F F-02 | 10 January 2001 | Shenzhou 2 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
66 | CZ-2F F-03 | 25 March 2002 | Shenzhou 3 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
67 | CZ-4B | 15 May 2002 | Hai Yang 1/Feng Yun 1D | SSO | TSLC | Success |
68 | CZ-4B | 27 October 2002 | ZY-2B | SSO | TSLC | Success |
69 | CZ-2F | 30 December 2002 | Shenzhou 4 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
70 | CZ-3A | 25 May 2003 | Beidou-1C | GTO | XSLC | Success |
71 | CZ-2F | 15 October 2003 | Shenzhou 5 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
72 | CZ-4B | 21 October 2003 | Chuang Xin 1 - CBERS | SSO | TSLC | Success |
73 | CZ-3D | 3 November 2003 | FSW-18 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
74 | CZ-3A | 15 November 2003 | "ZhongXing" ZX-20 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
75 | CZ-2C/SM | 30 December 2003 | Double Star (TC-1) | HEO | XSLC | Success |
76 | CZ-2C | 18 April 2004 | Shiyan SY-1/Naxing NX-1 | SSO | XSLC | Success |
77 | CZ-2C/SM | 25 July 2004 | Double Star ("Tan Ce" TC-2) | HEO (polar orbit) | TSLC | Success |
78 | CZ-2C | 29 August 2004 | FSW-19 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
79 | CZ-4B | 9 September 2004 | "Shijian" SJ-6A/SJ6B | SSO | TSLC | Success |
80 | CZ-2D | 27 September 2004 | FSW-20 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
81 | CZ-3A | 19 October 2004 | "FengYun" FY-2C | GTO | XSLC | Success |
82 | CZ-4B | 6 November 2004 | ZY-2 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
83 | CZ-2C | 18 November 2004 | "Shiyan" SY-2 | SSO | XSLC | Success |
84 | CZ-3B | 12 April 2005 | Apstar-6 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
85 | CZ-2D | 6 July 2005 | SJ-7 | SSO | JSLC | Success |
86 | CZ-2C | 2 August 2005 | FSW-21 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
87 | CZ-2D | 29 August 2005 | FSW-22 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
88 | CZ-2F | 12 October 2005 | Shenzhou 6 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
89 | CZ-4B | 27 April 2006 | Yaogan 1 | SSO | TSLC | Success |
90 | CZ-2C | 9 September 2006 | SJ-8 | LEO | JSLC | Success |
91 | CZ-3A | 13 September 2006 | ZX-22A | GTO | XSLC | Success |
92 | CZ-4B | 24 October 2006 | Two Shijian 6 space experiment satellites A/B | LEO | TSLC | Success |
93 | CZ-3B | 29 October 2006 00:20 CST | Sinosat 2 | GTO | XSLC | Success (satellite failure) |
94 | CZ-3A | 8 December 2006 08:53 CST | Fengyun 2D | GTO | XSLC | Success |
95 | CZ-3A | 3 February 2007 00:28 CST | Beidou | GTO | XSLC | Success |
96 | CZ-2C | 11 April 2007 11:27 CST | HY-1B | SSO | TSLC | Success |
97 | CZ-3A | 14 April 2007 04:11 CST | Beidou | MEO | XSLC | Success |
98 | CZ-3B | 13 May 2007 00:01 CST | NigComSat-1 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
99 | CZ-2D | 25 May 2007 15:12 CST | Yaogan-II | SSO | JSLC | Success |
100 | CZ-3A | 1 June 2007 00:08 CST | SinoSat-3 | GTO | XSLC | Success |
- Note: all dates are based on China Standard Time, with daylight saving if applicable
Record of launches by year
Year | Launch | Cumulative | Success | Cumulative |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
1971 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
1972 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
1973 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
1974 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
1975 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
1976 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
1977 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
1978 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 |
1979 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
1980 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
1981 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
1982 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 |
1983 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
1984 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 9 |
1985 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 10 |
1986 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 12 |
1987 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 14 |
1988 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 18 |
1989 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 18 |
1990 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 23 |
1991 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 23 |
1992 | 4 | 30 | 3 | 26 |
1993 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 27 |
1994 | 5 | 36 | 5 | 32 |
1995 | 3 | 39 | 2 | 34 |
1996 | 4 | 43 | 2 | 36 |
1997 | 6 | 49 | 6 | 42 |
1998 | 6 | 55 | 6 | 48 |
1999 | 4 | 59 | 4 | 52 |
2000 | 5 | 64 | 5 | 57 |
2001 | 1 | 65 | 1 | 58 |
2002 | 4 | 69 | 4 | 62 |
2003 | 6 | 75 | 6 | 68 |
2004 | 8 | 83 | 8 | 76 |
2005 | 5 | 88 | 5 | 81 |
2006 | 6 | 94 | 6 | 87 |
2007 | 5 | 99 | 5 | 92 |