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Long March 8

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Long March 8
Rendering of Long March 8 Y1
FunctionOrbital launch vehicle
ManufacturerChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology(CALT)
Country of originChina
Size
Height
  • Standard:50.34 m (165.2 ft)
  • Core only:48 m (157 ft)[1]
  • CZ-8A:50.5 m (166 ft)[2]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass
  • Standard:356,000 kg (785,000 lb)
  • Core only:198,000 kg (437,000 lb)[1]
  • CZ-8A:371,000 kg (818,000 lb)[2]
Stages2
Capacity
Payload toSSO700 km
Mass
  • Standard:5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
  • Core only:3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[1]
  • CZ-8A:7,000 kg (15,000 lb)[3]
Payload toLEO
Mass8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Payload toGTO
Mass2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
Payload toTLI
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
Associated rockets
ComparableSoyuz-2
Antares
Falcon 9(RTLS reusable)
Atlas V 501
Ariane 62
H3-30
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesWenchangLC-2
Wenchang CommercialLC-1
Total launches3
Success(es)3
First flight22 December 2020
Last flight20 March 2024
Boosters (Standard) – K2 booster
No. boosters2 or 0
Height26.903 m (88.26 ft)
Diameter2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Powered by1YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level:1,200 kN (270,000 lbf)
Vacuum:1,340 kN (300,000 lbf)
Total thrustSea level:4,800 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Vacuum:5,360 kN (1,200,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level:300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum:335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1/LOX
First stage – K3 core module
Height25.083 m (82.29 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Powered by2YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level:2,400 kN (540,000 lbf)
Vacuum:2,680 kN (600,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level:300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum:335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1/LOX
Second stage (CZ-8)
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Powered by2YF-75
Maximum thrust167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse438 s (4.30 km/s)
PropellantLH2/LOX
Second stage (CZ-8A)
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Powered by2YF-75H
Maximum thrust200 kN (45,000 lbf)
Specific impulse442.6 s (4.340 km/s)
PropellantLH2/LOX

Long March 8(Chinese:Trường chinh số 8 tên lửa vận chuyển) is an orbitallaunch vehicledeveloped by theChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technologyto launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitudeSun-synchronous orbit(SSO).[4]The rocket is based on theLong March 7with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of theLong March 3A/3B/3Cand7Aas its second stage. The boosters are omitted in the "core only" variant that first flew on its second launch in February 2022.[1]

A planned future launch vehicle variant of the Long March 8 will bepartially reusableby featuring acombined booster recoveryof the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.[5]

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from theWenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[6]

CZ-8A variant[edit]

An upgraded version of the Long March 8, theLong March 8A(Chinese:Trường chinh số 8 giáp tên lửa vận chuyển), will debut in 2024 with increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitudesun-synchronous orbit.It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of theYF-75Dengines (known as the YF-75H) with increased thrust to 10 tonnes each through measures such as increased turbopump speeds. The Long March 8A can also use a larger 5.2 meters diameter payload fairing.

Launch statistics[edit]

2
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
  • Failure
  • Partial failure
  • Success
  • Planned

List of launches[edit]

S.no Flight number Date
(UTC)
Variant Launch site Payload Orbit Outcome
1 Y1 22 December 2020
04:37[6][7]
Standard Wenchang,LC-2 Xinjishu Yanzheng 7(XJY-7)
Haisi-1
Tianqi Xingzuo 08(Ping'an-1)
Yuanguang-1
ET-SMART-RSS(Zhi xing -1A)
SSO Success
2 Y2 27 February 2022
03:06[8]
Core only[8] Wenchang,LC-2 Dayun (Xingshidai-17)
Hainan-101, 02
Jilin-1Gaofen-03D 10–18
Jilin-1Mofang-02A 01
Qiming xing -1
Taijing-3 01
Taijing-4 01
Tianxian-1 (Chaohu-1)
Chuang xing Leishen
Wenchang-1 01, 02
XD-1
Tianqi-19
SSO Success
3 Y3 20 March 2024
00:31[9]
Standard Wenchang,LC-2 Queqiao-2
Tiandu-1
Tiandu-2
Selenocentric Success
4 Y4 June 2024[10] Standard Wenchang,LC-2 TBA LEO Planned
5 Y1 December 2024[11] Standard Wenchang,LC-1 TBA LEO Planned

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcd"Trường chinh số 8 dao nhị tên lửa vận chuyển phi hành thí nghiệm lấy được viên mãn thành công".people.cn(in Chinese (China)). 27 February 2022.Retrieved18 March2023.
  2. ^abZhengyu, Song; Lidong, Liu; Xiaofei, Chen; Shanshu, Xu; Yitian, Wu (April 2023)."Development and Key Technologies of Long March 8 Family: China's Next-generation Medium-lift Launchers".Journal of Astronautics.44(4): 476–485.doi:10.3873/j.issn.1000-1328.2023.04.002.Retrieved7 June2024.
  3. ^"Trường chinh số 8 cải tiến hình hỏa tiễn nhị tử cấp ký thông dụng hydro oxy mạt cấp toàn hệ thống thử xe thành công! Trường chinh số 8 cải tiến hình hỏa tiễn năm nay đầu phi (All-Systems testing of upgraded Long March 8 second stage/universal LH2/LOX upper stage a success! Upgraded Long March 8 will first launch this year)"(in Chinese).CALT.Retrieved7 June2024.
  4. ^Giả bình phàm (28 December 2020)."Trường chinh số 8 đầu phi thành công Trung Quốc tên lửa vận chuyển gia tộc thêm nữa thành viên mới"(in Simplified Chinese). Tân Hoa Xã.Retrieved27 February2022.
  5. ^Jones, Andrew (30 April 2018)."China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher".SpaceNews.Retrieved6 December2020.
  6. ^abJones, Andrew (22 December 2020)."China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport".SpaceNews.Retrieved22 December2020.
  7. ^"Trường chinh số 8 tên lửa vận chuyển lần đầu phi hành thí nghiệm lấy được viên mãn thành công"[First Long March 8 rocket test flight was a complete success].CNSA(in Chinese). 22 December 2020.Retrieved22 December2020.
  8. ^abJones, Andrew (27 February 2022)."China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare".SpaceNews.Retrieved1 March2022.
  9. ^"China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications".Xinhua.20 March 2024.Retrieved21 March2024.
  10. ^"China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications".Xinhua.20 March 2024.Retrieved21 March2024.
  11. ^"China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications".Xinhua.20 March 2024.Retrieved21 March2024.