![]() Rendering of the Long March 6 launch vehicle | |
Function | Small launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology[1] |
Country of origin | China |
Size | |
Height | 29 m (95 ft) |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
Mass | 103,000 kg (227,000 lb) |
Stages | 3 [2] |
Capacity | |
Payload to 700 km (430 mi) SSO | |
Mass | 1,080 kg (2,380 lb) |
Associated rockets | |
Family | Long March |
Comparable | Minotaur-C, PSLV-CA |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | Taiyuan, LA-16 |
Total launches | 12 |
Success(es) | 12 |
First flight | 19 September 2015 [3] |
Last flight | 5 September 2024 |
First stage | |
Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
Propellant mass | 61,000 kg (134,000 lb) to 76,000 kg (168,000 lb) |
Powered by | 1 YF-100 |
Maximum thrust | 1,188 kN (267,000 lbf) [4] |
Specific impulse | 300 seconds (sea level) 335 seconds (vacuum) [5] |
Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
Second stage | |
Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
Propellant mass | 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) |
Powered by | 1 YF-115 |
Maximum thrust | 180 kN (40,000 lbf) [4] |
Specific impulse | 341.5 seconds (vacuum) [6] |
Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
Third stage | |
Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
Powered by | 1 |
Maximum thrust | 6.5 kN (1,500 lbf) [4] |
Specific impulse | 306.9 seconds |
Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH[4] |
The Long March 6 (Chinese: 长征六号运载火箭) or Chang Zheng 6 as in pinyin, abbreviated LM 6 for export or CZ 6 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fuelled launch vehicle of the Long March family, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) [7] and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The rocket was developed in the 2000s, and made its maiden flight in 2015.[8] As one of the new generation rocket family, the Long March 6 was designed to be a light capacity, "high-speed response" rocket, complementing the heavy lift Long March 5 and the mid-heavy lift Long March 7 rocket families. It is capable of placing at least 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of payload into a Sun-synchronous orbit.[9][8] The first stage of the Long March 6 was derived from the booster rockets being developed for the Long March 5 rocket. It is powered by a YF-100 engine, which generates 1,340 kN (300,000 lbf) of thrust from burning kerosene and LOX as rocket fuel and oxidiser.[8] This was the first flight of the new engine design.[3]
An enlarged variant, the Long March 6A, which has four strap-on solid boosters, an elongated stage one, a new stage two with the same diameter as the first stage, and a payload capacity of at least 4000 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit, made its maiden flight on 29 March 2022.[10] A further iteration named the Long March 6C with a slightly shorter length than the 6A and without the four strap-on solid boosters had its successful maiden launch on 7 May 2024.[11]
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