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).[4] 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]
 Rendering of Long March 8 Y1 | |
| Function | Orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to SSO 700 km | |
| Mass | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 8,100 kg (17,900 lb) |
| Payload to GTO | |
| Mass | 2,800 kg (6,200 lb) |
| Payload to TLI | |
| Mass | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | Soyuz-2 Antares Falcon 9 (RTLS reusable) Atlas V 501 Ariane 62 H3-30 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Wenchang LC-2 Wenchang Commercial LC-1 |
| Total launches | 3 |
| Success(es) | 3 |
| First flight | 22 December 2020 |
| Last flight | 20 March 2024 |
| Boosters (Standard) – K2 booster | |
| No. boosters | 2 or 0 |
| Height | 26.903 m (88.26 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Powered by | 1 YF-100 |
| Maximum thrust | Sea level: 1,200 kN (270,000 lbf) Vacuum: 1,340 kN (300,000 lbf) |
| Total thrust | Sea level: 4,800 kN (1,100,000 lbf) Vacuum: 5,360 kN (1,200,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | Sea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s) Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s) |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| First stage – K3 core module | |
| Height | 25.083 m (82.29 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Powered by | 2 YF-100 |
| Maximum thrust | Sea level: 2,400 kN (540,000 lbf) Vacuum: 2,680 kN (600,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | Sea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s) Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s) |
| Propellant | RP-1 / LOX |
| Second stage (CZ-8) | |
| Height | 12.375 m (40.60 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.0 m (9.8 ft) |
| Powered by | 2 YF-75 |
| Maximum thrust | 167.17 kN (37,580 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 438 s (4.30 km/s) |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
| Second stage (CZ-8A) | |
| Height | 12.375 m (40.60 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Powered by | 2 YF-75H |
| Maximum thrust | 200 kN (45,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 442.6 s (4.340 km/s) |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
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.[5]
The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[6]
CZ-8A variant edit
An upgraded version of the Long March 8, the Long March 8A (Chinese: 长征八号甲运载火箭), will debut in 2024 with increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of the YF-75D engines (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
- 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 (Zhixing-1A) |
SSO | Success |
| 2 | Y2 | 27 February 2022 03:06[8] |
Core only[8] | 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 | 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 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Zhengyu, 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. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "长征八号改进型火箭二子级暨通用氢氧末级全系统试车成功！长征八号改进型火箭今年首飞 (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. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (30 April 2018). "China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher". SpaceNews. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ a b Jones, Andrew (22 December 2020). "China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b Jones, Andrew (27 February 2022). "China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.