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]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass
  • Standard: 356,000 kg (785,000 lb)
  • Core only: 198,000 kg (437,000 lb)[1]
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to SSO 700 km
Mass
  • Standard: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
  • Core only: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[1]
Payload to LEO
Mass8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
Payload to TLI
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
Associated rockets
ComparableSoyuz-2
Antares
Falcon 9 (RTLS reusable)
Ariane 6
H3
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesWenchang, LC-2
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 by1 YF-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 by2 YF-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
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Powered by2 YF-75
Maximum thrust167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse438 s (4.30 km/s)
PropellantLH2 / LOX

Long March 8 (Chinese: 长征八号运载火箭) is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[2] The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as 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 be partially reusable by featuring a combined booster recovery of the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.[3]

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[4]

Launch statistics

1
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
  •   Failure
  •   Partial failure
  •   Success
  •   Planned

List of launches

Flight number Date
(UTC)
Variant Launch site Payload Orbit Outcome
1 22 December 2020
04:37[4][5]
Standard Wenchang, LC-2 Xinjishu Yanzheng 7 (XJY-7)
Haisi-1
Tianqi Xingzuo 08 (Ping'an-1)
Yuanguang-1
ET-SMART-RSS (Zhixing-1A)
SSO Success
2 27 February 2022
03:06[6]
Core only[6] Wenchang, LC-2 Dayun (Xingshidai-17)
Hainan-1 01, 02
Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D 10–18
Jilin-1 Mofang-02A 01
Qimingxing-1
Taijing-3 01
Taijing-4 01
Tianxian-1 (Chaohu-1)
Chuangxing Leishen
Wenchang-1 01, 02
XD-1
Tianqi-19
SSO Success
3 20 March 2024
00:31[7]
Standard Wenchang, LC-2 Queqiao-2
Tiandu-1
Tiandu-2
Selenocentric Success

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "长征八号遥二运载火箭飞行试验取得圆满成功". people.cn (in Chinese (China)). 27 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. ^ 贾平凡 (28 December 2020). "长征八号首飞成功 中国运载火箭家族再添新成员" (in Simplified Chinese). 新华社. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ^ Jones, Andrew (30 April 2018). "China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher". SpaceNews. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b Jones, Andrew (22 December 2020). "China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  5. ^ "长征八号运载火箭首次飞行试验取得圆满成功" [First Long March 8 rocket test flight was a complete success]. CNSA (in Chinese). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b Jones, Andrew (27 February 2022). "China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  7. ^ "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.