Long March 4C

Rendering of Long March 4C
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerSAST
Country of originChina
Size
Height45.8 m (150 ft) [1]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass250,000 kg (550,000 lb)
Stages3
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass4,200 kg (9,300 lb) [2]
Payload to SSO
Mass2,800 kg (6,200 lb) [2]
Payload to GTO
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb) [2]
Associated rockets
FamilyLong March
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesTSLC, LA-7, LA-9
JSLC, LA-4/SLS-2
XSLC, LA-3
Total launches54
Success(es)52
Failure(s)2
First flight26 April 2006
Last flight11 May 2024
First stage
Height27.91 m
Diameter3.35 m
Propellant mass182,000 kg (401,000 lb)
Powered by4 YF-21C
Maximum thrust2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse2,550 m/s (8,400 ft/s)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Height10.9 m
Diameter3.35 m
Propellant mass52,700 kg (116,200 lb)
Powered by1 YF-24C
(1 x YF-22C (Main))
(4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Maximum thrust742.04 kN (166,820 lbf) (Main)
47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)
Specific impulse2,942 m/s (9,650 ft/s) (Main)
2,834 m/s (9,300 ft/s) (Vernier)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Third stage
Height14.79 m
Diameter2.9 m
Propellant mass14,000 kg (31,000 lb)
Powered by2 YF-40A
Maximum thrust100.85 kN (22,670 lbf)
Specific impulse2,971 m/s (9,750 ft/s)
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH

The Long March 4C, also known as the Chang Zheng 4C, CZ-4C and LM-4C, previously designated Long March 4B-II, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle. It is launched from the Jiuquan, Taiyuan, and Xichang Satellite Launch Centers, and consists of 3 stages. Long March 4C vehicles have been used to launch the Yaogan-1, Yaogan-3 synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellites and the Fengyun-3A polar orbiting meteorological satellite. On 15 December 2009, a Long March 4C was used to launch Yaogan-8.[3]

Because it was still designated as Long March 4B-II at the time of its maiden flight, the first launch is often mistaken for a Long March 4B. The Long March 4C is derived from the Long March 4B, but features a restartable upper stage, and a larger payload fairing.

On 1 September 2016, the Long March 4C failed for reasons not yet known. A Long March 4C rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi but failed to insert its payload, the Gaofen 10 satellite, into its designated orbit.[4][5]

  1. ^ Brian Harvey (2013). China in Space: The Great Leap Forward. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 96. ISBN 978-1-4614-5043-6.
  2. ^ a b c "CZ-4C (Chang Zheng-4C)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
  3. ^ Rui C. Barbosa (15 December 2009). "China completes 2009 schedule by launching another spy satellite". NASASpaceFlight.com.
  4. ^ Stephen Chen (2 September 2016). "Chinese rocket launch reported to have failed, destroying cutting-edge earth observation satellite". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  5. ^ Rui C. Barbosa (2 September 2016). "Long March 4C apparently fails during Gaofen 10 launch". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.

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