Long March 3C

Long March 3C

Prior to the launch of Tianlian I-01 aboard a Long March 3C at Xichang Satellite Launch Center
Function	Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	CALT
Country of origin	People's Republic of China
Size
Height	54.8 metres (180 ft)[1]
Diameter	3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[1]
Mass	345,000 kilograms (760,000 lb)[1]
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to GTO	3,800 kilograms (8,400 lb)[2][3]
Payload to HCO	2,400 kilograms (5,300 lb)[3]
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	LC-2, XSLC
Total launches	7
Successes	7
Maiden flight	25 April 2008

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 Chang Zheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. A 3-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

Drawing of Long March 3C

It made its maiden flight on 25 April 2008, at 15:35 GMT. The payload for the first launch was the Tianlian-1 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.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Mark Wade. "CZ-3C" (in English). Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/cz3c.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
2. ^ http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/LaunchVehicle/LM3C.html
3. ^ ^{a b} Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3C (Chang Zheng-3C)" (in English). Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/cz-3c.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-26.