Long March 3B

Chinese orbital carrier rocket

Long March 3B

Rendering of Long March 3B

Function| Launch vehicle
Manufacturer| China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Country of origin| China
Cost per launch| US$50-70 million [1][2][3]
Size
Height|

* 3B: 54.8 m (180 ft) [4]
* 3B/E: 56.3 m (185 ft) [5]

Diameter| 3.35 m (11.0 ft) [4]
Mass|

* 3B: 425,800 kg (938,700 lb)
* 3B/E: 458,970 kg (1,011,860 lb) [5]

Stages| 3 / 4
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass| 11,500 kg (25,400 lb) [6][7]
Payload to SSO
Mass| 7,100 kg (15,700 lb) [6][7]
Payload to GTO
Mass|

* 3B: 5,100 kg (11,200 lb) [6][7]
* 3B/E: 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) [5]

Payload to GEO
Mass| 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) [7]
Payload to HCO
Mass| 3,300 kg (7,300 lb) [6][7]
Associated rockets
Family| Long March
Derivative work| Long March 3C
Comparable|

* Atlas V
* Delta IV
* Falcon 9 (reusable)
* GSLV Mk III
* H-IIA
* Zenit-3F

Launch history
Status|

* 3B: Retired
* 3B/E: Active

Launch sites| Xichang LC-2, LC-3
Total launches|

* 106
* 3B: 12
* 3B/E: 94

Success(es)|

* 102
* 3B: 10
* 3B/E: 92

Failure(s)|

* 2
* 3B: 1 (Intelsat 708)
* 3B/E: 1 (Palapa-N1)

Partial failure(s)|

* 2
* 3B: 1 (Palapa-D)
* 3B/E: 1 (ChinaSat 9A)

First flight|

* 3B: 14 February 1996 (Intelsat 708)
* 3B/E: 13 May 2007 (NigComSat-1)

Last flight|

* 3B: 18 September 2012 (Compass M5, M6)
* 3B/E: 26 March 2025
(Tianlian II-04)

Carries passengers or cargo|

Chang'e 3, Chang'e 4, BeiDou, ChinaSat

Boosters (3B)
No. boosters| 4
Height| 15.33 m (50.3 ft)
Diameter| 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass| 37,700 kg (83,100 lb)
Powered by| 1 × YF-25
Maximum thrust| 740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse| 2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s)
Burn time| 127 seconds
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH
Boosters (3B/E)
No. boosters| 4
Height| 16.1 m (53 ft)
Diameter| 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass| 41,100 kg (90,600 lb)
Powered by| 1 × YF-25
Maximum thrust| 740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse| 2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s)
Burn time| 140 seconds
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B)
Height| 23.27 m (76.3 ft)
Diameter| 3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass| 171,800 kg (378,800 lb)
Powered by| 4 × YF-21C
Maximum thrust| 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s)
Burn time| 145 seconds
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B/E)
Height| 24.76 m (81.2 ft)
Diameter| 3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass| 186,200 kg (410,500 lb)
Powered by| 4 × YF-21C
Maximum thrust| 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse| 2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s)
Burn time| 158 seconds
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Height| 12.92 m (42.4 ft)
Diameter| 3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass| 49,400 kg (108,900 lb)
Powered by|

* 1 × YF-24E
* YF-22E (Main)
* YF-23F (Vernier)

Maximum thrust|

* 742 kN (167,000 lbf) (Main)
* 47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)

Specific impulse|

* 2,922.57 m/s (9,588.5 ft/s) (Main)
* 2,910.5 m/s (9,549 ft/s) (Vernier)

Burn time| 185 seconds
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH
Third stage
Height| 12.38 m (40.6 ft)
Diameter| 3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Propellant mass| 18,200 kg (40,100 lb)
Powered by| 2 × YF-75
Maximum thrust| 167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse| 4,295 m/s (438.0 s)
Burn time| 478 seconds
Propellant| LH2 / LOX
Fourth stage (optional) – YZ-1
Powered by| 1 × YF-50D
Maximum thrust| 6.5 kN (1,500 lbf)
Specific impulse| 315.5 s (3.094 km/s)
Propellant| N2O4 / UDMH

[edit on Wikidata]

The Long March 3B (Chinese: 长征三号乙; pinyin: Chángzhēng sānhàoyǐ), also known as the CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is the heaviest variant of the Long March 3 rocket family, and is mainly used to place communications satellites and navigation satellites into geosynchronous orbits.

An enhanced version, the Long March 3B/E or G2, was introduced in 2007 to increase the rocket's geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) cargo capacity and lift heavier geosynchronous orbit (GEO) communications satellites. The Long March 3B also served as the basis for the medium-capacity Long March 3C, which was first launched in 2008.

As of 26 March 2025[update], the Long March 3B, 3B/E and 3B/G5 have conducted 102 successful launches, plus 2 failures and 2 partial failures, accumulating a success rate of 96.2%. It is the first Long March series rocket to accumulate 100 orbital launches.

## History

[edit]

The development of the Long March 3B began in 1986 to meet the needs of the international GEO communications satellite market. During its maiden flight, on 14 February 1996 carrying the Intelsat 708 satellite, the rocket suffered a guidance failure two seconds into the flight and destroyed a nearby town, killing at least six people,[8] but outside estimates suggest that anywhere between 200 and 500 people might have been killed.[9] However, the author of the report[9] later ruled out large casualties, because evidence suggest that the crash site was evacuated before the launch.[10]

The Long March 3B and 3B/E rockets conducted ten successful launches between 1997 and 2008.[5]

In 1997, the Agila 2 satellite was forced to use onboard propellant to reach its correct orbit because of poor injection accuracy on the part of its Long March 3B launch vehicle.[11] In 2009, a Long March 3B partially failed during launch due to a third stage anomaly, which resulted in the Palapa-D satellite reaching a lower orbit than planned.[12] Nonetheless, the satellite was able to maneuver itself into the planned orbit. The Long March 3B and its variants remain in active use as of January 2021[update], having conducted a total of 26 consecutive successful launches, since 19 June 2017 until 9 March 2020.

In December 2013, a Long March 3B/E successfully lifted Chang'e 3, China's first Lunar lander and rover into the projected lunar-transfer orbit.

In April 2020, the third stage of the Long March 3B/E failed during a Palapa-N1 communications satellite mission; this was the first total failure of the Long March 3B/E.[13]

## Design and variants

[edit]

The Long March 3B is based on the Long March 3A as its core stage, with four liquid boosters strapped on the first stage. It has a low Earth orbit (LEO) cargo capacity of 11,200 kg (24,700 lb) and a GTO capacity is 5,100 kg (11,200 lb).

### Long March 3B/E

[edit]

The Long March 3B/E, also known as 3B/G2, is an enhanced variant of the Long March 3B, featuring an enlarged first stage and boosters, increasing its GTO payload capacity to 5,500 kg (12,100 lb).[14] Its maiden flight took place on 13 May 2007, when it successfully launched Nigeria's NigComSat-1, the first African geosynchronous communications satellite. In 2013, it successfully launched China's first lunar lander Chang'e 3 and lunar rover Yutu.

Since 2015, the Long March 3B and 3C can optionally accommodate a YZ-1 upper stage, which has been used to carry dual launches or BeiDou navigation satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO).

### Long March 3C

[edit]

Main article: Long March 3C

A modified version of the Long March 3B, the Long March 3C, was developed in the mid-1990s to bridge the gap in payload capacity between the Long March 3B and 3A. It is almost identical to the Long March 3B, but has two boosters instead of four, giving it a reduced GTO payload capacity of 3,800 kg (8,400 lb). Its maiden launch took place on 25 April 2008.

## Launch statistics

[edit]

2.5

7.5

12.5

1996

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

* Failure
* Partial failure
* Success
* Planned

## List of launches

[edit]

Main article: List of Long March launches

Flight number  | Serial number  | Date (UTC)  | Launch site  | Version  | Payload  | Orbit  | Result

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Y1  | 14 February 1996
19:01  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Intelsat 708 | GTO | Failure
2  | Y2  | 19 August 1997
17:50  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Agila-2 | GTO | Success
3  | Y3  | 16 October 1997
19:13  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | APStar 2R | GTO | Success
4  | Y5  | 30 May 1998
10:00  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Chinastar 1 | GTO | Success
5  | Y4  | 18 July 1998
09:20  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | SinoSat 1 | GTO | Success
6  | Y6  | 12 April 2005
12:00  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | APStar 6 | GTO | Success
7  | Y7  | 28 October 2006
16:20  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | SinoSat 2 | GTO | Success
8  | Y9  | 13 May 2007
16:01  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | NigComSat-1 | GTO | Success
9  | Y10  | 5 July 2007
12:08  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | ChinaSat 6B | GTO | Success
10  | Y11  | 9 June 2008
12:15  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | ChinaSat 9 | GTO | Success
11  | Y12  | 29 October 2008
16:53  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Venesat-1 | GTO | Success
12  | Y8  | 31 August 2009
09:28  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Palapa-D | GTO | Partial Failure
13  | Y13  | 4 September 2010
16:14  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | SinoSat 6 | GTO | Success
14  | Y20  | 20 June 2011
16:13  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 10 | GTO | Success
15  | Y19  | 11 August 2011
16:15  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Paksat-1R | GTO | Success
16  | Y16  | 18 September 2011
16:33  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 1A | GTO | Success
17  | Y18  | 7 October 2011
08:21  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Eutelsat W3C | GTO | Success
18  | Y21  | 19 December 2011
16:41  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | NigComSat-1R | GTO | Success
19  | Y22  | 31 March 2012
10:27  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | APStar 7 | GTO | Success
20  | Y14  | 29 April 2012
20:50  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Compass-M3
Compass-M4 | MEO | Success
21  | Y17  | 26 May 2012
15:56  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 2A | GTO | Success
22  | Y15  | 18 September 2012
19:10  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B  | Compass-M5
Compass-M6 | MEO | Success
23  | Y24  | 27 November 2012
10:13  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 12 | GTO | Success
24  | Y25  | 1 May 2013
16:06  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 11 | GTO | Success
25  | Y23  | 1 December 2013
17:30  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Chang'e 3 | TLI | Success
26  | Y27  | 20 December 2013
16:42  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Túpac Katari 1 | GTO | Success
27  | Y26  | 25 July 2015
12:29  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou M1-S
BeiDou M2-S | MEO | Success
28  | Y32  | 12 September 2015
15:42  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-1 | GTO | Success
29  | Y33  | 29 September 2015
23:13  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | BeiDou I2-S | GTO | Success
30  | Y36  | 16 October 2015
16:16  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | APStar 9 | GTO | Success
31  | Y34  | 3 November 2015
16:25  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 2C | GTO | Success
32  | Y38  | 20 November 2015
16:07  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | LaoSat-1 | GTO | Success
33  | Y31  | 9 December 2015
16:46  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 1C | GTO | Success
34  | Y37  | 28 December 2015
16:04  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Gaofen 4 | GTO | Success
35  | Y29  | 15 January 2016
16:57  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | Belintersat-1 | GTO | Success
36  | Y35  | 5 August 2016
16:22  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | Tiantong 1-01 | GTO | Success
37  | Y42  | 10 December 2016
16:11  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | Fengyun-4A  | GTO | Success
38  | Y39  | 5 January 2017
15:18  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-2 | GTO | Success
39  | Y43  | 12 April 2017
11:04  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Shijian 13 | GTO | Success
40  | Y28  | 19 June 2017
16:11  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Chinasat 9A | GTO | Partial failure
41  | Y46  | 5 November 2017
11:45  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M1
BeiDou-3 M2 | MEO | Success
42  | Y40  | 10 December 2017
16:40  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Alcomsat-1 | GTO | Success
43  | Y45  | 11 January 2018
23:18  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M7
BeiDou-3 M8 | MEO | Success
44  | Y47  | 12 February 2018
05:03  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M3
BeiDou-3 M4 | MEO | Success
45  | Y48  | 29 March 2018
17:56  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M9
BeiDou-3 M10 | MEO | Success
46  | Y55  | 3 May 2018
16:06  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Apstar 6C | GTO | Success
47  | Y49  | 29 July 2018
01:48  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M5
BeiDou-3 M6 | MEO | Success
48  | Y50  | 24 August 2018
23:52  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M11
BeiDou-3 M12 | MEO | Success
49  | Y51  | 19 September 2018
14:07  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M13
BeiDou-3 M14 | MEO | Success
50  | Y52  | 15 October 2018
04:23  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M15
BeiDou-3 M16 | MEO | Success
51  | Y41  | 1 November 2018
15:57  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 G1 | GTO | Success
52  | Y53  | 18 November 2018
18:07  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M17
BeiDou-3 M18 | MEO | Success
53  | Y30  | 7 December 2018
18:23  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Chang'e 4 | TLI | Success
54  | Y56  | 10 January 2019
17:11  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 2D | GTO | Success
55  | Y54  | 9 March 2019
16:28  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 6C | GTO | Success
56  | Y44  | 31 March 2019
15:51  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Tianlian 2-01 | GTO | Success
57  | Y59  | 20 April 2019
14:41  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 I1 | GTO | Success
58  | Y60  | 24 June, 2019
18:09  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 I2 | GTO | Success
59  | Y58  | 19 August 2019
12:03  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 18 | GTO | Success
60  | Y65  | 22 September 2019
21:10  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M23
BeiDou-3 M24 | MEO | Success
61  | Y57  | 17 October 2019
15:21  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | TJS-4 | GTO | Success
62  | Y61  | 4 November 2019
17:43  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 I3 | GTO | Success
63  | Y66  | 23 November 2019
00:55  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M21
BeiDou-3 M22 | MEO | Success
64  | Y67  | 16 December 2019
07:22  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M19
BeiDou-3 M20 | MEO | Success
65  | Y62  | 7 January 2020
15:20  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-5 | GTO | Success
66  | Y69  | 9 March 2020
11:55  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 G2 | GTO | Success
67  | Y71  | 9 April 2020
11:46  | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) | GTO | Failure [15]
68  | Y68  | 23 June 2020
01:43 [16] | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 G3 | GTO | Success
69  | Y64  | 9 July 2020
12:11 [17] | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | Apstar 6D | GTO | Success
70  | Y63  | 11 October 2020
16:57 [18] | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | Gaofen-13 | GTO | Success
71  | Y73  | 12 November 2020
15:59 [19] | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | Tiantong 1-02 | GTO | Success
72  | Y70  | 6 December 2020
03:58  | XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E  | Gaofen-14 | SSO | Success
73  | Y74  | 19 January 2021
16:25  | XSLC, LA-2 | 3B/E  | Tiantong 1-03 | GTO | Success
74  | Y77  | 4 February 2021
15:36  | XSLC, LA-3 | 3B/E  | TJS-6 | GTO | Success
75  | Y72  | 2 June 2021
16:17  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Fengyun 4B | GTO | Success
76  | Y76  | 5 August 2021
16:30  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 2E | GTO | Success
77  | Y78  | 24 August 2021
15:41  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | TJS-7 | GTO | Success
78  | Y86  | 9 September 2021
11:50  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 9B | GTO | Success
79  | Y81  | 27 September 2021
08:20  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Shiyan 10 | GTO | Success[20]
80  | Y83  | 24 October 2021
01:27:03  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Shijian-21 | GTO | Success
81  | Y79  | 26 November 2021
16:40:04  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 1D | GTO | Success
82  | Y82  | 13 December 2021
16:09  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | Tianlian II-02 | GTO | Success
83  | Y84  | 29 December 2021
16:43  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-9 | GTO | Success
84  | Y89  | 15 April 2022
12:00  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 6D | GTO | Success
85  | Y85  | 12 July 2022
16:30  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Tianlian II-03 | GTO | Success
86  | Y91  | 5 November 2022
11:50  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 19 | GTO | Success
87  | Y88  | 29 December 2022
04:43  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Shiyan 10-02 | GTO | Success
88  | Y93  | 23 February 2023
11:49  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 26 | GTO | Success
89  | Y90  | 17 March 2023
08:33  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Gaofen 13-02 | GTO | Success
90  | Y87  | 17 May 2023
02:49  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | BeiDou-3 G4 | GTO | Success
91  | Y92  | 12 August 2023
17:26  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Ludi Tance-4 01A  | GTO | Success
92  | Y94  | 9 November 2023
11:23  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 6E | GTO | Success
93  | Y75  | 26 December 2023
03:26  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M26
BeiDou-3 M28 | MEO | Success
94  | Y95  | 29 February 2024
13:03  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-01  | GTO | Success
95  | Y96  | 9 May 2024
01:43  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Zhihui Tianwang 1-01A
Zhihui Tianwang 1-01B  | MEO | Success
96  | Y98  | 30 May 2024
12:12  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Paksat-MM1R | GTO | Success
97  | Y97  | 1 August 2024
13:14  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-02  | GTO | Success
98  | Y80  | 19 September 2024
01:14  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E + YZ-1 | BeiDou-3 M25
BeiDou-3 M27 | MEO | Success
99  | Y100  | 10 October 2024
13:50  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-03  | GTO | Success
100  | Y103  | 3 December 2024
05:56  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | TJS-13 | GTO | Success
101  | Y99  | 20 December 2024
15:12  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-12 | GTO | Success
102  | Y104  | 6 January 2025
20:00  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | Shijian-25 | GTO | Success
103  | Y106  | 23 January 2025
15:32  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TJS-14 | GTO | Success
104  | Y101  | 22 February 2025
12:11  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 10R | GTO | Success
105  | Y107  | 9 March 2025
17:17  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | TJS-15 | GTO | Success
106  | Y?  | 26 March 2025
15:55  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Tianlian II-04 | GTO | Success
107  | Y?  | 10 April 2025
16:30  | XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TBA  | GTO | Planned
108  | Y?  | 26 April 2025
15:55  | XSLC, LA-3  | 3B/E  | TJS-17 | GTO | Planned
109  | Y?  | 13 May 2025
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TBA  | GTO | Planned
110  | Y?  | 29 May 2025
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Tianwen-2 | Heliocentric | Planned
111  | Y?  | June 2025
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | TBA  | GTO | Planned
| Y?  | Q2 2025
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 9C | GTO | Planned
| Y?  | September 2025
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | Fengyun 4C | GTO | Planned
| Y?  | 2027
| XSLC, LA-2  | 3B/E  | ChinaSat 27 | GTO | Planned

## Flight mishaps and anomalies

[edit]

### Intelsat 708 launch failure

[edit]

Main article: Intelsat 708

On 14 February 1996, the launch of the first Long March 3B with Intelsat 708 failed just after liftoff when the launch vehicle veered off course and exploded when it hit the ground at T+23 seconds.

The Xinhua news agency reported that six people were killed and 57 injured. However, the Americans on hand for the launch have testified that "dozens, if not hundreds", of people were seen to gather outside the centre's main gate near the crash site the night before launch.[21] When reporters were being taken away from the site, they found that most buildings had sustained serious damage or had been flattened completely.[21] Other eyewitnesses were noted as having seen dozens of ambulances and many flatbed trucks, loaded with what could have been human remains, being taken to the local hospital.[21]

The cause of the accident was traced to short-circuiting of the vehicle's guidance platform at liftoff.[22]

The participation of Space Systems/Loral in the accident investigation caused great political controversy in the United States. In 1997, the U.S. Defense Technology Security Administration found that China had obtained "significant benefit" from the Review Committee, results of which would improve their "launch vehicles ... ballistic missiles and in particular their guidance systems".

As a result, the U.S. Congress reclassified satellite technology as a munition and placed it back under the restrictive International Traffic in Arms Regulations in 1998.[23] No license to launch United States spacecraft on Chinese rockets has been approved by the U.S. State Department since then, and an official at the Bureau of Industry and Security emphasized in 2016 that "no U.S.-origin content, regardless of significance, regardless of whether it's incorporated into a foreign-made item, can go to China".[24]

### Palapa-D partial launch failure

[edit]

On 31 August 2009, during the launch of Palapa-D, the third stage engine under-performed and placed the satellite into a lower than planned orbit. The satellite was able to make up the performance shortfall using its own engine and reach geosynchronous orbit, but with its lifetime shortened to 10.5 years from the originally projected 15–16 years. The investigation found that the failure was due to burn-through of the engine's gas generator, and that "the most likely cause of the burn-through was a foreign matter or humidity-caused icing in the engine's liquid-hydrogen injectors".[25]

### ChinaSat-9A partial launch failure

[edit]

On 19 June 2017, a Long March 3B/E mission carrying ChinaSat-9A ended in partial failure. Officials did not release details regarding the status of the mission for at least 4 hours after liftoff.[26] Two weeks later, on 7 July 2017, officials confirmed that the mission had been anomalous, with Space Daily reporting that "an anomaly was found on the carrier rocket's rolling control thruster, part of the attitude control engine, during the third gliding phase". The failure in the rocket's third stage left the payload in a lower than intended orbit, and the payload was forced to spend two weeks reaching its intended orbit under its own power.[27]

### Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) launch failure

[edit]

On 9 April 2020, a Long March 3B launcher failed after lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan province at 11:46 UTC during the launch of an Indonesian communications satellite, Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) of a mass of 5500 kg and was expected to enter service in geostationary orbit at 113.0° East, replacing the Palapa-D satellite. But one of the two YF-75 third stage engines failed to ignite, preventing the Palapa-N1 (Nusantara Dua) satellite from reaching orbit.[28] Wreckage from the third stage and the Palapa-N1 spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere, leading to sightings of fiery debris in the skies over Guam. With the Long March 3B failure, Chinese rockets have faltered on two missions in less than a month. A Long March 7A rocket failed to place a satellite in orbit on 16 March 2020 after taking off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island, located in southern China.[29] After two Chinese launch failures in less than a month, further Chinese launches will be likely delayed until it is sure that the quality control is satisfactory.[30]

## Rocket debris

[edit]

Debris from Long March 3B launches have fallen on nearby villages due to the inland location of China's launch sites. Grid fins for guiding boosters down to Earth more accurately have been tested on Long March 2C and 4B, but not yet on 3B.[31]

## Notable payloads

[edit]

* Beidou
* Chang'e 3
* Chang'e 4
* Eutelsat W3C
* TJS-5
* Apstar 6C
* Chinasat 9A
* Chinasat 6C
* Palapa-D
* Fengyun 4B
* NigComSat-1
* Tiantong 1-03
* Gaofen 14

## References

[edit]

* Spaceflight portal
* China portal

1. ^ "Cheap, reusable space launchers are still years away for Chinese military". 24 March 2021.
2. ^ "How GSLV compares in the international launch market?". 29 July 2019.
3. ^ "Long March 3B".
4. ^ a b Mark Wade. "CZ-3B". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
5. ^ a b c d "LM-3B". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
6. ^ a b c d "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011" (PDF). China Great Wall Industries Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
7. ^ a b c d e Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3B (Chang Zheng-3B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
8. ^ Select Committee of the United States House of Representatives (3 January 1999). "Satellite Launches in the PRC: Loral". U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People's Republic of China. Retrieved 23 May 2012. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
9. ^ a b Lan, Chen. "Mist around the CZ-3B disaster". The Space Review. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
10. ^ Lan, Chen. "Mist around the CZ-3B disaster (part 2)". The Space Review. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
11. ^ International reference guide to space launch systems. Fourth edition. p. 243. ISBN 1-56347-591-X
12. ^ ""帕拉帕－Ｄ"通信卫星未能进入预定轨道". Xinhuanet. 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
13. ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (9 April 2020). "Long March 3B fails during Indonesian satellite launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
14. ^ "LM-3B". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2009.
15. ^ Jing, Zhan (9 April 2020). "PALAPA-N1卫星发射失利". xinhuanet.com.
16. ^ "Launch Schedule". Spaceflight Now. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
17. ^ "High-throughput communications satellite launched from China". Spaceflight Now. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
18. ^ "China launches Gaofen-13 observation satellite towards geostationary orbit". SpaceNews. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
19. ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (12 November 2020). "Long March 3B lofts second Tiantong-1 spacecraft". nasaspaceflight.com. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
20. ^ Beil, Adrian (17 October 2021). "Chinese Shiyan-10 satellite raises its orbit after initial problems". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
21. ^ a b c Lan, Chen. "Mist around the CZ-3B disaster, Part 1". The Space Review. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
22. ^ "Satellite Launches in the PRC: Loral". CNN. 25 May 1999. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
23. ^ Zelnio, Ryan (9 January 2006). "A short history of export control policy". The Space Review.
24. ^ de Selding, Peter B. (14 April 2016). "U.S. ITAR satellite export regime's effects still strong in Europe". SpaceNews.
25. ^ de Selding, Peter B. (19 November 2009). "Burn-through Blamed in China Long March Mishap". SpaceNews. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
26. ^ "Zhongxing-9A Comsat lifts off atop Chinese Long March 3B, Launch Outcome Unclear – Spaceflight101". 18 June 2017.
27. ^ "Chinese satellite Zhongxing-9A". Space Daily.
28. ^ "Satelit Nusantara Dua Gagal Mengorbit, Siaran TV dan Radio Terancam Bermasalah".
29. ^ https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/04/09/chinese-rocket-fails-during-launch-of-indonesian-communications-satellite/ \- 9 April 2020
30. ^ "China loses another: Long March 3B launch fails and Palapa-N1 falls into the drink". 9 April 2020.
31. ^ Li, Michael Sheetz,Yun (26 November 2019). "'Adjust your location quickly' — How China warns residents before rockets crash down from space". cnbc.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## External links

[edit]

* LM-3B User's Manual at GlobalSecurity.org
* Long March-3B (LM-3B) Archived 8 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

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* This template lists historical, current, and future space rockets that at least once attempted (but not necessarily succeeded in) an orbital launch or that are planned to attempt such a launch in the future
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