Long March 2C
The Long March 2C (LM-2C), also known as the Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C), is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT),[2] the Long March 2C made its first launch on 9 September 1982. It is a two-stage launch vehicle with storable propellants, consisting of Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine. The rocket was derived from the DF-5 ICBM.[2]
Function | Launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | CALT |
Country of origin | People's Republic of China |
Size | |
Height | 42 metres (138 ft)[1] |
Diameter | 3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[1] |
Mass | 233,000 kilograms (514,000 lb) |
Stages | 2 |
Capacity | |
Payload to LEO | 3,850 kilograms (8,490 lb) |
Payload to SSO | 2C: 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) 2C/SMA: 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb) |
Payload to GTO | 2C/SM: 1,250 kilograms (2,760 lb) |
Associated rockets | |
Family | Long March |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | LA-2/138 and LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC LA-7 and LA-9, TSLC LA-3, XSLC |
Total launches | 53 |
Successes | 52 |
Failures | 1 |
First flight | 9 September 1982 |
Last flight | 10 June 2020 |
First stage | |
Length | 25.72 m |
Diameter | 3.35 m |
Propellant mass | 162,706 kilograms (358,705 lb) |
Engines | 4 YF-21C |
Thrust | 2,961.6 kilonewtons (665,800 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,556.5 metres per second (8,387 ft/s) |
Fuel | N2O4 / UDMH |
Second stage | |
Length | 7.757 m |
Diameter | 3.35 m |
Propellant mass | 54,667 kilograms (120,520 lb) |
Engines | 1 YF-24E (1 x YF-22E (Main)) (4 x YF-23C (Vernier)) |
Thrust | 741.4 kilonewtons (166,700 lbf) (Main) 47.1 kilonewtons (10,600 lbf) (Vernier) |
Specific impulse | 2,922.37 metres per second (9,587.8 ft/s) (Main) 2,834.11 metres per second (9,298.3 ft/s) (Vernier) |
Fuel | N2O4 / UDMH |
Third stage – (optional) | |
Length | 1.5 m |
Diameter | 2.7 m |
Propellant mass | 125 kilograms (276 lb) |
Engines | 1 solid |
Thrust | 10.78 kilonewtons (2,420 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 2,804 metres per second (9,200 ft/s) |
Fuel | HTPB |
Several variants of this launch vehicle have been built, all using an optional third solid motor stage:[3]
- 2C/SD — Commercial satellite launcher with a multi-satellite smart dispenser allowing delivery of two satellites simultaneously
- 2C/SM — Version for delivery of small satellites to high orbits
- 2C/SMA — Improved version of the 2C/SM
Note that according to the website Gunter's Space Page,[4] in addition to the launches listed in the following table, there may have been six additional CZ-2C launches during 2014 and 2015. These possible launches apparently were conducted at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on the following dates: 9 January 2014, 7 August 2014, 2 December 2014, 7 June 2015, 20 August 2015, and 23 November 2015; five of these six launches were apparently successful, while the launch on 7 August 2014 appears to have failed. However, due to the lack of additional sources for these six launches, they are not currently included in the following launch list.
Aerodynamic grid fins were added on the Long March 2C in 2019 to help guide falling stages away from populated areas. China is studying using reusable rocket technology in the future.[5]
List of launches
Flight number | Date (UTC) | Launch site | Upper stage (if used) | Payload | Orbit | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 September 1982 07:19 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.4 | LEO | Success | |
2 | 19 August 1983 06:00 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.5 | LEO | Success | |
3 | 12 September 1984 05:44 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.6 | LEO | Success | |
4 | 21 October 1985 05:04 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.7 | LEO | Success | |
5 | 6 October 1986 05:40 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.8 | LEO | Success | |
6 | 5 August 1987 06:39 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-0 No.9 | LEO | Success | |
7 | 9 September 1987 07:15 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-1 No.1 | LEO | Success | |
8 | 5 August 1988 07:29 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-1 No.2 | LEO | Success | |
9 | 5 October 1990 06:14 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-1 No.3 | LEO | Success | |
10 | 6 October 1992 06:20 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-1 No.4 Freja |
LEO | Success | |
11 | 8 October 1993 08:00 |
LA-2/138, JSLC | FSW-1 No.5 | LEO | Success | |
12 | 1 September 1997 14:00 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium mass simulator A Iridium mass simulator B |
LEO | Success |
13 | 8 December 1997 07:16 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 42 Iridium 44 |
LEO | Success |
14 | 25 March 1998 17:01 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 51 Iridium 61 |
LEO | Success |
15 | 2 May 1998 09:16 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 69 Iridium 71 |
LEO | Success |
16 | 19 August 1998 23:01 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 76 Iridium 78 |
LEO | Success |
17 | 19 December 1998 11:39 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 88 Iridium 89 |
LEO | Success |
18 | 11 June 1999 17:15 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SD | Iridium 92 Iridium 93 |
LEO | Success |
19 | 29 December 2003 19:06 |
LA-3, XSLC | 2C/SM | Double Star 1 | HEO | Success |
20 | 18 April 2004 15:59 |
LA-3, XSLC | Shiyan-1 Nano Satellite 1 |
SSO | Success | |
21 | 25 July 2004 07:05 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SM | Double Star 2 | HEO | Success |
22 | 29 August 2004 07:50 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | FSW-4 No.1 | LEO | Success | |
23 | 18 November 2004 10:45 |
LA-3, XSLC | Shiyan-2 | SSO | Success | |
24 | 2 August 2005 07:30 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | FSW-4 No.2 | LEO | Success | |
25 | 9 September 2006 07:00 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 8 | LEO | Success | |
26 | 11 April 2007 03:27 |
LA-7, TSLC | HaiYang-1B | SSO | Success | |
27 | 6 September 2008 03:25 |
LA-7, TSLC | 2C/SMA | Huanjing-1A Huanjing-1B |
SSO | Success |
28 | 22 April 2009 02:55 |
LA-7, TSLC | Yaogan 6 | SSO | Success | |
29 | 12 November 2009 02:45 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-01 | SSO | Success | |
30 | 6 July 2011 04:28 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-03 | SSO | Success | |
31 | 29 July 2011 07:42 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-02 | SSO | Success | |
32 | 18 August 2011 09:28 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-04 | SSO | Failure | |
33 | 29 November 2011 18:50 |
LA-9, TSLC | Yaogan 13 | SSO | Success | |
34 | 6 October 2012 03:25 |
LA-9, TSLC | 2C/SMA | Shijian 9A Shijian 9B |
SSO | Success |
35 | 18 November 2012 22:53 |
LA-9, TSLC | Huanjing-1C Xinyan 1 Fengniao 1 |
SSO | Success | |
36 | 15 July 2013 09:27 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-05 | SSO | Success | |
37 | 29 October 2013 02:50 |
LA-9, TSLC | Yaogan 18 | SSO | Success | |
38 | 31 March 2014 02:46 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-06 | SSO | Success | |
39 | 28 September 2014 05:13 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-07 | SSO | Success | |
40 | 27 October 2014 06:59 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | Shijian 11-08 | SSO | Success | |
41 | 14 November 2014 18:53 |
LA-9, TSLC | Yaogan 23 | SSO | Success | |
42 | 29 September 2017 04:21 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-01 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
43 | 24 November 2017 18:10 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-02 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
44 | 25 December 2017 19:44 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-03 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
45 | 25 January 2018 05:39 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-04 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
46 | 27 June 2018 03:30 |
LC-3, XSLC | XJSS A/B | LEO | Success | |
47 | 9 July 2018 03:56 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | 2C/SMA | PRSS-1 PakTES-1A |
SSO | Success |
48 | 7 September 2018 03:15 |
LA-9, TSLC | HaiYang-1C | SSO | Success | |
49 | 9 October 2018 02:43 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | 2C/YZ-1S | Yaogan 32A, 32B | LEO | Success |
50 | 29 October 2018 00:43 |
LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC | CFOSAT | SSO | Success | |
51 | 26 July 2019 03:57 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-05 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
52 | 24 March 2020 03:43 |
LA-3, XSLC | Yaogan 30-06 A/B/C | LEO | Success | |
53 | 10 June 2020 18:31[5] |
TSLC, LA-9 | HaiYang 1D | SSO | Success |
Launch failures
Shijian 11-04 launch failure
On 18 August 2011, a Long March 2C rocket failed during the launch of the Shijian 11-04 satellite. During the powered flight phase of the second stage, the connecting mechanism between vernier engine no.3 and the servo-control mechanism of the second stage failed, which led to the loss of attitude control on the second stage.[6]
References
- "LM-2C". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- "China's Orbital Launch Activity 2020" (PDF). Bryce Space and Technology. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- "Chang Zheng-2C (Long March-2C)". SinoDefence. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- Gunter Dirk Krebs. "CZ-2 (Chang Zheng-2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- Clark, Stephen (10 June 2020). "China launches ocean monitoring satellite". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- "Malfunction at devices connection blamed for orbiter launch failure". Xinhua News Agency. 6 September 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- "LM-2C USER'S MANUAL". CALT. 1999. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016.
- Gunter Dirk Krebs. "CZ-2 (Chang Zheng-2)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 9 August 2015.