The Long March 3C (simplified Chinese: 长征三号丙火箭; traditional Chinese: 長征三號丙火箭; pinyin: Chángzhēng Sānhào Bǐng Huǒjiàn), also known as the Changzheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC). A three-stage rocket with two strapon liquid rocket boosters, it is a member of the Long March 3 rocket family, and was derived from the Long March 3B. It was designed to fill a gap in payload capacities between the Long March 3A and 3B.

Rendering of Long March 3C
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerCALT
Country of originChina
Size
Height
  • 3C: 54.8 m (180 ft) [1]
  • 3C/E: 55.64 m (182.5 ft) [2]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft) [1]
Mass345,000 kg (761,000 lb)
Stages3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass3C: 8,000 kg (18,000 lb) [3]
3C/E: 8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[2]
Payload to GTO
Mass3C: 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) [4][5]
3C/E: 3,900 kg (8,600 lb)
Payload to HCO
Mass2,400 kg (5,300 lb) [4][5]
Associated rockets
FamilyLong March
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesXSLC, LA-2 and LA-3
Total launches18
Success(es)18
First flight
  • 3C: 25 April 2008
  • 3C/E: 23 October 2014
Last flight
  • 3C: 1 February 2016
  • 3C/E: 6 July 2021
Type of passengers/cargo
Boosters (3C)
No. boosters2
Height15.33 m (50.3 ft)
Diameter2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass37,700 kg (83,100 lb)
Powered by1 YF-25
Maximum thrust740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse2,556.2 m/s (8,386 ft/s)
Burn time127 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Boosters (3C/E)
No. boosters2
Height16.1 m (53 ft)
Diameter2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass41,100 kg (90,600 lb)
Powered by1 YF-25
Maximum thrust740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse2,556.2 m/s (8,386 ft/s)
Burn time140 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3C)
Height23.27 m (76.3 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass171,800 kg (378,800 lb)
Powered by4 YF-21C
Maximum thrust2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse2,556.5 m/s (8,387 ft/s)
Burn time145 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3C/E)
Height24.76 m (81.2 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass186,200 kg (410,500 lb)
Powered by4 YF-21C
Maximum thrust2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse2,556.5 m/s (8,387 ft/s)
Burn time158 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Height12.92 m (42.4 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass49,400 kg (108,900 lb)
Powered by1 YF-24E (YF-22E (Main)
4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Maximum thrust742 kN (167,000 lbf) (Main)
47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)
Specific impulse2,922.57 m/s (9,588.5 ft/s) (Main)
2,910.5 m/s (9,549 ft/s) (Vernier)
Burn time185 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Third stage
Height12.38 m (40.6 ft)
Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Propellant mass18,200 kg (40,100 lb)
Powered by2 × YF-75
Maximum thrust167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse4,295 m/s (14,090 ft/s)
Burn time487 seconds
PropellantLH2 / LOX
Fourth stage (optional) – YZ-1
Powered by1 × YF-50D
Maximum thrust6.5 kN (1,500 lbf)
Specific impulse315.5 s (3.094 km/s)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH

Launch Statistics

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1
2
3
4
2008
2010
2015
2020
  •   Failure
  •   Partial failure
  •   Success
  •   Planned

Launches

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It made its maiden flight on 25 April 2008, at 15:35 UTC. The payload for the first launch was the Tianlian I-01 data relay communications satellite. The second carried the Compass-G2 navigation satellite and was conducted on 14 April 2009. The third launch was made on 16 January 2010, with the Compass-G1 satellite. The fourth carrying the Compass-G3 navigation satellite was launched on 2 June 2010. On 1 October 2010, it successfully launched China's second lunar probe, Chang'e 2.

An enhanced version, named Long March 3C/E, debuted during the launch of Chang'e 5-T1 on 23 October 2014.[6] On 30 March 2015, the Yuanzheng upper stage was used on top of a Long March 3C launch vehicle for the first time.[7]

List of launches

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Flight number Serial number Date (UTC) Launch site Version Payload Orbit Result
1 Y1 25 April 2008
15:35
XSLC, LA-2 3C Tianlian I-01 GTO Success
2 Y3 14 April 2009
16:16
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G2 GTO Success
3 Y2 16 January 2010
16:12
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G1 GTO Success
4 Y4 2 June 2010
15:53
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G3 GTO Success
5 Y7 1 October 2010
10:59
XSLC, LA-2 3C Chang'e 2 LTO Success
6 Y5 31 October 2010
16:26
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G4 GTO Success
7 Y8 11 July 2011
15:41
XSLC, LA-2 3C Tianlian I-02 GTO Success
8 Y6 24 February 2012
16:12
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G5 GTO Success
9 Y9 25 July 2012
15:43
XSLC, LA-2 3C Tianlian I-03 GTO Success
10 Y10 25 October 2012
15:33
XSLC, LA-2 3C Compass-G6 GTO Success
11 Y12 23 October 2014
18:00
XSLC, LA-2 3C/E Chang'e 5-T1 LTO Success
12 Y11 30 March 2015
13:52
XSLC, LA-2 3C / Yuanzheng BDS I1-S GSO Success
13 Y14 1 February 2016
07:29
XSLC, LA-2 3C / Yuanzheng BDS M3-S MEO Success
14 Y15 12 June 2016
15:30
XSLC, LA-3 3C/E Compass-G7 GTO Success
15 Y13 22 November 2016
15:24
XSLC, LA-2 3C/E Tianlian I-04 GTO Success
16 Y17 24 December 2018
16:53
XSLC, LA-3 3C/E TJS-3 GTO Success
17 Y16 17 May 2019
15:48
XSLC, LA-2 3C/E Compass-G8 GTO Success
18 Y18 6 July 2021
15:53
XSLC, LA-2 3C/E Tianlian I-05 GTO Success

References

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  1. ^ a b Wade, Mark. "CZ-3C". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 1 June 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Long March 3C/E | Tianlian 1D". Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Long March 3C | Chang'e 2". Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011" (PDF). China Great Wall Industries Corporation. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3C (Chang Zheng-3C)". Gunter's Space Page. Archived from the original on 28 November 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  6. ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (23 October 2014). "China launches lunar sample return test mission". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
  7. ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (30 March 2015). "Long March 3C in secretive launch with new Upper Stage". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.