Long March 8

Long March 8 (Chinese: 长征八号运载火箭) is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[2] The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its second stage. The boosters are omitted in the "core only" variant that first flew on its second launch in February 2022.[1]

Long March 8
Rendering of Long March 8 Y1
FunctionOrbital launch vehicle
ManufacturerChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Country of originChina
Size
Height
  • Standard: 50.34 m (165.2 ft)
  • Core only: 48 m (157 ft)[1]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass
  • Standard: 356,000 kg (785,000 lb)
  • Core only: 198,000 kg (437,000 lb)[1]
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to SSO 700 km
Mass
  • Standard: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
  • Core only: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[1]
Payload to LEO
Mass8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
Associated rockets
ComparableSoyuz-2
Antares
Falcon 9 (RTLS reusable)
Ariane 6
H3
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesWenchang, LC-2
Jiuquan
Total launches2
Success(es)2
First flight22 December 2020
Last flight27 February 2022
Boosters (Standard) – K2 booster
No. boosters2 or 0
Height26.903 m (88.26 ft)
Diameter2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Powered by1 YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level: 1,200 kN (270,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 1,340 kN (300,000 lbf)
Total thrustSea level: 4,800 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 5,360 kN (1,200,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1 / LOX
First stage – K3 core module
Height25.083 m (82.29 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Powered by2 YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level: 2,400 kN (540,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 2,680 kN (600,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1 / LOX
Second stage
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Powered by2 YF-75
Maximum thrust167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse438 s (4.30 km/s)
PropellantLH2 / LOX

A planned future launch vehicle variant of the Long March 8 will be partially reusable by featuring a combined booster recovery of the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.[3]

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[4]

Launch statistics

1
2020
2022
2023
2024
  •   Failure
  •   Partial failure
  •   Success
  •   Planned

List of launches

Flight number Date
(UTC)
Variant Launch site Payload Orbit Outcome
1 22 December 2020
04:37[4][5]
Standard Wenchang, LC-2 Xinjishu Yanzheng 7 (XJY-7)
Haisi-1
Tianqi Xingzuo 08 (Ping'an-1)
Yuanguang-1
ET-SMART-RSS (Zhixing-1A)
SSO Success
2 27 February 2022
03:06[6]
Core only[6] Wenchang, LC-2 Dayun (Xingshidai-17)
Hainan-1 01, 02
Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D 10–18
Jilin-1 Mofang-02A 01
Qimingxing-1
Taijing-3 01
Taijing-4 01
Tianxian-1 (Chaohu-1)
Chuangxing Leishen
Wenchang-1 01, 02
XD-1
Tianqi-19
SSO Success
3 Q4 2023 (TBD) Wenchang, LC-2 Unknown TBD Planned
4 March 2024 (TBD)[7] Wenchang, LC-2 Queqiao-2
Tiandu-1, 2
Selenocentric Planned

See also

References

  1. "长征八号遥二运载火箭飞行试验取得圆满成功". people.cn (in Chinese (China)). 27 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. 贾平凡 (28 December 2020). "长征八号首飞成功 中国运载火箭家族再添新成员" (in Simplified Chinese). 新华社. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. Jones, Andrew (30 April 2018). "China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher". SpaceNews. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  4. Jones, Andrew (22 December 2020). "China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  5. "长征八号运载火箭首次飞行试验取得圆满成功" [First Long March 8 rocket test flight was a complete success]. CNSA (in Chinese). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  6. Jones, Andrew (27 February 2022). "China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  7. Seger Yu [@SegerYu] (2 October 2023). "The Queqiao-2 relay satellite is expected to be launched in March 2024" (Tweet) via Twitter.
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