Long March 3C Explained

Function:

Launch vehicle

Manufacturer:

CALT

Status:

Active

Sites:

XSLC, LA-2 and LA-3

Height:

3C: ^[1]
3C/E: ^[2]

Stages:

Launches:

Success:

First:

3C: 25 April 2008
3C/E: 23 October 2014

Last:

3C: 1 February 2016
3C/E: 6 July 2021

Capacities:

Kilos:

3C: ^[3]
3C/E:

Kilos:

3C: ^[4] ^[5]
3C/E:

Family:

Long March

Stagedata:

Type:	booster
Diff:	3C
Number:	2
Engines:	1 YF-25
Burntime:	127 seconds
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

Type:	booster
Diff:	3C/E
Number:	2
Engines:	1 YF-25
Burntime:	140 seconds
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

Type:	stage
Stageno:	First
Diff:	3C
Engines:	4 YF-21C
Burntime:	145 seconds
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

Type:	stage
Stageno:	First
Diff:	3C/E
Engines:	4 YF-21C
Burntime:	158 seconds
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

Type:	stage
Stageno:	Second
Engines:	1 YF-24E (YF-22E (Main) 4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Thrust:	(Main) (Vernier)
Si:	(Main) (Vernier)
Burntime:	185 seconds
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

Type:	stage
Stageno:	Third
Engines:	2 × YF-75
Burntime:	487 seconds
Fuel:	LH₂ / LOX

Type:	stage
Stageno:	Fourth
Diff:	optional
YZ-1
Engines:	1 × YF-50D
Fuel:	N₂O₄ / UDMH

The Long March 3C, 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.

Launches

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

See main article: List of Long March launches.

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

Notes and References

Web site: CZ-3C. Mark. Wade. Encyclopedia Astronautica. 2008-04-26. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080601181331/http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/cz3c.htm. 2008-06-01.
Web site: Long March 3C/E | Tianlian 1D. 21 January 2021. 28 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210128041648/https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/2105. live.
Web site: Long March 3C | Chang'e 2. 21 January 2021. 3 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210203220336/https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/5165. live.
Web site: LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011. China Great Wall Industries Corporation. 2015-08-09. 20 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161220124025/http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/Download/manual/LM-3A%20Series%20Launch%20Vehicles%20User%27s%20Manual%20Issue%202011.pdf. live.
Web site: CZ-3C (Chang Zheng-3C). Gunter Krebs. Gunter's Space Page. 2008-04-26. 28 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161128005847/http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/cz-3c.htm. live.
Web site: Barbosa. Rui C.. China launches lunar sample return test mission. NASASpaceFlight.com. 23 October 2014. 10 August 2015. 23 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141023233948/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2014/10/china-lunar-sample-return-test-mission/. live.
Web site: Barbosa. Rui C.. Long March 3C in secretive launch with new Upper Stage. NASASpaceFlight.com. 30 March 2015. 10 August 2015. 2 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402104525/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/03/long-march-3c-launch-new-upper-stage/. live.