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Chang Zheng 3C

Launch vehicle · China

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

CZ-3C
CZ-3C
CZ-3C model exhibited at UN exhibit, Vienna, 2011
Credit: © Mark Wade

Chinese orbital launch vehicle. Launch vehicle combining CZ-3B core with two boosters from CZ-2E. The standard fairing was 9.56 m long, 4.0 m in diameter. On August 23, 2001, the CZ-3C launcher passed its critical design review. CZ-3C development had begun in 1995 but was suspended in 1996-2000 due to the 1996 CZ-3B failure. First launch was in 2008.

Launch sequence:

Event                                     TIME (sec.)
 First Stage Ignition                          -3
 Liftoff                                        0.00
 Pitch over                                    11.0
 Booster Separation                           127.24
 First/Second Stage Separation                147.36
 Jettisoning of Fairing                       232.4
 2nd/3rd Stage Sep. & 3rd Stage Ignition      332.31
 1st Shutoff of 3rd Stage                     631.32
 2nd Ignition of 3rd Stage                   1281.23
 2nd Shutoff of Third Stage                  1459.91
 Satellite/Launcher Sep.                     1559.907

Payload: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb) to a GTO (200 x 35,793 km 28 deg). Launch Price $: 75.000 million in 1999 dollars.

Stage Data - CZ-3C

  • Stage 0. 2 x CZ-2E-0. Gross Mass: 41,000 kg (90,000 lb). Empty Mass: 3,200 kg (7,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 816.285 kN (183,508 lbf). Isp: 291 sec. Burn time: 128 sec. Isp(sl): 261 sec. Diameter: 2.25 m (7.38 ft). Span: 2.26 m (7.41 ft). Length: 15.33 m (50.29 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: YF-20B. Other designations: LB-40. Status: In Production.
  • Stage 1. 1 x CZ-3A-1. Gross Mass: 179,000 kg (394,000 lb). Empty Mass: 9,000 kg (19,800 lb). Thrust (vac): 3,265.143 kN (734,033 lbf). Isp: 289 sec. Burn time: 155 sec. Isp(sl): 259 sec. Diameter: 3.35 m (10.99 ft). Span: 7.00 m (22.90 ft). Length: 23.08 m (75.72 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 4. Engine: YF-20B. Other designations: L-180. Status: In Production.
  • Stage 2. 1 x CZ-2C/SD-2. Gross Mass: 55,000 kg (121,000 lb). Empty Mass: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb). Thrust (vac): 761.900 kN (171,282 lbf). Isp: 298 sec. Burn time: 190 sec. Isp(sl): 270 sec. Diameter: 3.35 m (10.99 ft). Span: 3.35 m (10.99 ft). Length: 10.00 m (32.00 ft). Propellants: N2O4/UDMH. No Engines: 1. Engine: YF-22A/23A. Other designations: L-35. Status: In Production. Comments: Stretched version of CZ-2C second stage. Empty mass estimated.
  • Stage 3. 1 x CZ-3A-3. Gross Mass: 21,000 kg (46,000 lb). Empty Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Thrust (vac): 156.000 kN (35,070 lbf). Isp: 440 sec. Burn time: 470 sec. Diameter: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Span: 3.00 m (9.80 ft). Length: 12.38 m (40.60 ft). Propellants: Lox/LH2. No Engines: 2. Engine: YF-75. Other designations: H-18. Status: In Production.

More at: Chang Zheng 3C.

Related

Country
China
Launch Sites
Xichang
Agency
CALT

Photo Gallery

  • LM-3C Launch Vehicle
    LM-3C Launch Vehicle
    Long March LM-3C launch vehicle on the pad.

Chronology

13 events

2008 April 25

15:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Tian Lian 1 - . Payload: DFH 76. Mass: 5,100 kg (11,200 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-4. USAF Sat Cat: 32779 . COSPAR: 2008-019A. Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Perigee: 35,768 km (22,225 mi). Inclination: 0.40 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    China's first in a series of new data relay satellites, and the first launch of the CZ-3C, a variant of the Long March with two liquid strap-ons. The satellite will relay data from Chinese manned and military satellites, beginning with the Shenzhou mission, from geostationary orbit at 77 deg E. Configuration unknown, but possibly based on the DFH-4 platform.

2009 April 14

16:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G2 - . Payload: Beidou DW2. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 34779 . COSPAR: 2009-018A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,783 km (22,234 mi). Inclination: 0.70 deg. Period: 1,436.30 min. First launch of the geostationary component of the Beidou-2 navigation satellite constellation. Experienced control problems; as of 2010 not in the operational constellation..

2010 January 16

16:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G1 - . Payload: Beidou DW3. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 36287 . COSPAR: 2010-001A. Apogee: 35,972 km (22,351 mi). Perigee: 35,600 km (22,100 mi). Inclination: 1.80 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. First successful launch in the geostationary component of the Beidou-2 navigation satellite constellation. Stationed at 144.5 deg E..

2010 June 2

15:53 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G3 - . Payload: Beidou DW4. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 36590 . COSPAR: 2010-024A. Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Perigee: 35,776 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 1.80 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. Second successful launch in the geostationary component of the Beidou-2 navigation satellite constellation. Stationed at 84 deg E..

2010 October 1

11:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Chang'e 2 - . Mass: 2,480 kg (5,460 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: DFH-3. USAF Sat Cat: 37174 . COSPAR: 2010-050A.

    China's second lunar orbiter, retasked to an interplanetary explorer. Entered a 119 x 8599 km lunar orbit on 1 October at 03:14 GMT. By 9 October it had maneuvered to its operational 100-km circular lunar orbit. On 9 June 2011, its lunar mission complete, it was maneuvered out of lunar orbit, and arrived at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point on 25 August 2011. It then followed the interplanetary gravitational superhighway to a 1.02 AU x 1.03 AU x 0.2 deg solar orbit, leading to a flyby of the asteroid Toutatis on 13 December 2012 at 08:30 GMT. It came within 3.2 km of the planetoid and returned detailed images.

2010 October 31

16:26 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G4 - . Payload: Beidou DW6. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 37210 . COSPAR: 2010-057A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 1.60 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Third successful launch in the geostationary component of the Beidou-2 navigation satellite constellation. Stationed at 160 deg E. These three launches in one year completed that portion of the constellation..

2011 July 11

15:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Tianlian 1-02 - . Mass: 2,300 kg (5,000 lb). Nation: China. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-3. USAF Sat Cat: 37737 . COSPAR: 2011-032A. Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Perigee: 35,769 km (22,225 mi). Inclination: 0.80 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Data relay satellite to support the Shenzhou-Tiangong docking mission and later manned space station missions..

2012 February 24

16:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G5 - . Payload: Beidou DW 11. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 38091 . COSPAR: 2012-008A. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,784 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 1.70 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Stationed in geostationary orbit at 58.7 deg E..

2012 July 25

15:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Tianlian 1-03 - . Mass: 2,300 kg (5,000 lb). Nation: China. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-3. USAF Sat Cat: 38730 . COSPAR: 2012-040A. Apogee: 35,802 km (22,246 mi). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 1.90 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Provided communications relay to the Chinese space station. On station at 16.7 deg E by 6 August..

2012 October 25

15:33 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou G6 - . Payload: Beidou DW16. Mass: 3,800 kg (8,300 lb). Nation: China. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 38953 . COSPAR: 2012-059A. Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,776 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 1.80 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Reached geostationary orbital station at 80.4 E on 1 November. The transfer orbit had an unusually low perigee of around 160 km. Stationed at 80 deg E..

2016 June 12

15:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. Launch Complex: Xichang LC3. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Beidou DW 23 - . Payload: Beidou G7. Nation: China. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Beidou-GEO. USAF Sat Cat: 41586 . COSPAR: 2016-037A. Apogee: 34,574 km (21,483 mi). Perigee: 217 km (134 mi). Inclination: 19.30 deg. 7th geostationary satellite in the Beidou-2 generation..

2016 November 22

15:24 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Tianlian-1 04 - . Nation: China. Class: Communications. Type: Data relay satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-3. USAF Sat Cat: 41869 . COSPAR: 2016-072A. Apogee: 41,776 km (25,958 mi). Perigee: 201 km (124 mi). Inclination: 17.40 deg.

    The fourth in China's Tianlian-1 series of data relay satellites was launched into an elliptical geotransfer orbit. On Nov 23 at about 1000 UTC it raised its orbit with a burn over the Indian Ocean. It wa expected to replace Tianlian-1 01 at the 80E location. On Dec 1 Tianlian 1-04 was tracked on station at 76.9E, a few degrees from Tianlian 1-01.

2018 December 24

16:52 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • TJS 3 - . Nation: China. Type: Tech? 1. USAF Sat Cat: 43874 . COSPAR: 2018-110A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.0500 deg. Period: 1,436.12 min. See TJS 3. GEO 59E..
  • TJS 3 subsat - . Nation: China. Type: Tech 1. USAF Sat Cat: 43917 . COSPAR: 2018-110C. Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.0500 deg. Period: 1,436.12 min. See TJS 3 Subsatellite. GEO 59E..