Long March 3B

Long March 3B
Rendering of Long March 3B
FunctionLaunch vehicle
ManufacturerChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Country of originChina
Cost per launchUS$50-70 million [1][2][3]
Size
Height
  • 3B: 54.8 m (180 ft) [4]
  • 3B/E: 56.3 m (185 ft) [5]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft) [4]
Mass
  • 3B: 425,800 kg (938,700 lb)
  • 3B/E: 458,970 kg (1,011,860 lb) [5]
Stages3 / 4
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass11,500 kg (25,400 lb) [6][7]
Payload to SSO
Mass7,100 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
Mass2,000 kg (4,400 lb) [7]
Payload to HCO
Mass3,300 kg (7,300 lb) [6][7]
Associated rockets
FamilyLong March
Derivative workLong March 3C
Comparable
Launch history
Status
  • 3B: Retired (have opportunity to launch TianWen-2 in 2025)
  • 3B/E: Active
Launch sitesXichang LC-2, LC-3
Total launches
  • 99
    • 3B: 12
    • 3B/E: 87
Success(es)
  • 95
    • 3B: 10
    • 3B/E: 85
Failure(s)
Partial failure(s)
First flight
Last flight
  • 3B: 18 September 2012 (Compass M5, M6)
  • 3B/E: 10 October 2024
    (Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-03)
Type of passengers/cargo
Chang'e 3, Chang'e 4, BeiDou, ChinaSat
Boosters (3B)
No. boosters4
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 (260.66 s)
Burn time127 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
Boosters (3B/E)
No. boosters4
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 (260.66 s)
Burn time140 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B)
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 (260.69 s)
Burn time145 seconds
PropellantN2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B/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 (260.69 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 by
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 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 (438.0 s)
Burn time478 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
[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 10 October 2024, the Long March 3B, 3B/E and 3B/G5 have conducted 95 successful launches, plus 2 failures and 2 partial failures, accumulating a success rate of 96%.

  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 "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.