Engineering:Long March 3A
 Rendering of Long March 3A | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| Country of origin | China |
| Cost per launch | US$70 million[1] |
| Size | |
| Height | 52.52 metres (172.3 ft)[2] |
| Diameter | 3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[2] |
| Mass | 241,000 kilograms (531,000 lb)[2] |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 8,500 kilograms (18,700 lb)[3][4] |
| Payload to GTO | 2,600 kilograms (5,700 lb)[5][3] |
| Payload to HCO | 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb)[3][4] |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Derivatives | Long March 3B Long March 3C |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | LA-2 & LA-3, XSLC |
| Total launches | 27[5] |
| Successes | 27[5] |
| First flight | 8 February 1994[5] |
| Last flight | 9 July 2018 |
| First stage | |
| Length | 23.272 m |
| Diameter | 3.35 m |
| Propellant mass | 171,800 kg (378,800 lb) |
| Engines | 4 YF-21C |
| Thrust | 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s) |
| Burn time | 148 s |
| Fuel | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Second stage | |
| Length | 11.276 m |
| Diameter | 3.35 m |
| Propellant mass | 32,600 kg (71,900 lb) |
| Engines | 1 YF-24E (1 x YF-22E (Main)) (4 x YF-23C (Vernier)) |
| Thrust | 742 kN (167,000 lbf) (Main) 47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier) |
| Specific impulse | 2,922.57 m/s (298.019 s) (Main) 2,910.5 m/s (296.79 s) (Vernier) |
| Burn time | 115 s |
| Fuel | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Third stage | |
| Length | 12.375 m |
| Diameter | 3.0 m |
| Propellant mass | 18,200 kg (40,100 lb) |
| Engines | 2 YF-75[6] |
| Thrust | 167.17 kN (37,580 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 4,295 m/s (438.0 s) |
| Burn time | 475 s |
| Fuel | LH2 / LOX |
The Long March 3A (Chinese: 长征三号甲火箭), also known as the Chang Zheng 3A, CZ-3A and LM-3A, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March family[7] of expendable rockets. A three-stage rocket, it was usually used to place communications satellites and Beidou navigation satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit. It was manufactured by the Great Wall Industry Corporation.[8]
History and specifications
The Long March 3A is the first variant of the Long March 3.[9] The first stage was lengthened from 20.219 metres (66.34 ft) to 23.075 metres (75.71 ft), and the third stage was enlarged and redesigned to accommodate two YF-75 rocket engines, whereas its predecessor had a single YF-73; this gave it the capability to lift 2.3 tonnes (2.5 tons) into geosynchronous orbit, compared to the Long March 3's 1.4 tonnes (1.5 tons).[9] A new computer system was also installed.[9]
The first and second stages used hypergolic propellants (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide), while the third used cryogenic fuel (liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen).[7]
Its achievements include powering the first two BeiDou navigation satellites into orbit (Beidou 1A on 30 October 2000[10] and Beidou 1B on 20 December[11]), as well as China's first Moon probe, Chang'e 1, into lunar orbit in 2007.[12][13]
It formed the basis of the Long March 3B, which by adding four strap-on booster rockets increased the lifting capacity to 4.8 tonnes (5.3 tons).[9]
Launch statistics
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Launches
Long March 3A rockets were launched from Launch Areas 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC).[8]
| Flight number | Serial number | Date (UTC) | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y1 | 8 February 1994 08:34 |
LA-2, XSLC | Shijian 4 | HEO | Success |
| 2 | Y2 | 29 November 1994 17:02 |
LA-2, XSLC | Dong Fang Hong 3 | GTO | Success |
| 3 | Y3 | 11 May 1997 16:17 |
LA-2, XSLC | ChinaSat 6 | GTO | Success |
| 4 | Y4 | 25 January 2000 16:45 |
LA-2, XSLC | ChinaSat 22 | GTO | Success |
| 5 | Y5 | 30 October 2000 16:02 |
LA-2, XSLC | Beidou-1A | GTO | Success |
| 6 | Y6 | 20 December 2000 16:20 |
LA-2, XSLC | Beidou-1B | GTO | Success |
| 7 | Y7 | 24 May 2003 16:34 |
LA-2, XSLC | Beidou-1C | GTO | Success |
| 8 | Y8 | 14 November 2003 16:01 |
LA-2, XSLC | ChinaSat 20 | GTO | Success |
| 9 | Y9 | 19 October 2004 01:20 |
LA-2, XSLC | Fengyun 2C | GTO | Success |
| 10 | Y10 | 12 September 2006 16:02 |
LA-2, XSLC | ChinaSat 22A | GTO | Success |
| 11 | Y11 | 8 December 2006 00:53 |
LA-2, XSLC | Fengyun 2D | GTO | Success |
| 12 | Y12 | 2 February 2007 16:28 |
LA-2, XSLC | Beidou-1D | GTO | Success |
| 13 | Y13 | 13 April 2007 20:11 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-M1 | MEO | Success |
| 14 | Y15 | 31 May 2007 16:08 |
LA-3, XSLC | SinoSat 3 | GTO | Success |
| 15 | Y14 | 24 October 2007 10:05 |
LA-3, XSLC | Chang'e 1 | LTO | Success |
| 16 | Y20 | 23 December 2008 00:54 |
LA-3, XSLC | Fengyun 2E | GTO | Success |
| 17 | Y16 | 31 July 2010 21:30 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-IGSO1 | GTO | Success |
| 18 | Y21 | 24 November 2010 16:09 |
LA-3, XSLC | ChinaSat 20A | GTO | Success |
| 19 | Y18 | 17 December 2010 20:20 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-IGSO2 | GTO | Success |
| 20 | Y19 | 9 April 2011 20:47 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-IGSO3 | GTO | Success |
| 21 | Y17 | 26 July 2011 21:44 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-IGSO4 | GTO | Success |
| 22 | Y23 | 1 December 2011 21:07 |
LA-3, XSLC | Compass-IGSO5 | GTO | Success |
| 23 | Y22 | 13 January 2012 00:56 |
LA-3, XSLC | Fengyun 2F | GTO | Success |
| 24 | Y24 | 31 December 2014 01:02 |
LA-2, XSLC | Fengyun 2G | GTO | Success |
| 25 | Y26 | 29 March 2016 20:11 |
LA-2, XSLC | Compass-IGSO6 | GTO | Success |
| 26 | Y25 | 5 June 2018 13:07 |
LA-2, XSLC | Fengyun 2H | GTO | Success |
| 27 | Y27 | 9 July 2018 20:58 |
LA-2, XSLC | Compass-IGSO7 | GTO | Success |
See also
References
- ↑ "Surplus Missile Motors: Sale Price Drives Potential Effects on DOD and Commercial Launch Providers". Government Accountability Office. 16 August 2017. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-609.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Wade, Mark. "CZ-3A". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/cz.htm.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011". China Great Wall Industries Corporation. http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/Download/manual/LM-3A%20Series%20Launch%20Vehicles%20User%27s%20Manual%20Issue%202011.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Krebs, Gunter. "CZ-3A (Chang Zheng-3A)". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/cz-3a.htm.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "LM-3A". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. http://www.cgwic.com/LaunchServices/LaunchVehicle/LM3A.html.
- ↑ "Long March 3C/E - Rockets". Spaceflight101.com. http://spaceflight101.com/spacerockets/long-march-3ce/.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kumar, Sanjay (8 May 2018). India China Space Capability: A Comparison. Vij Books India. ISBN 978-9386457448. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/India_China_Space_Capabilities/v3HOEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Long+March+3A%27&pg=PT95&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Greenberg, Joel S.; Hertzfeld, Henry R., eds (1992). Space Economics. Washington, DC: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. p. 268. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Space_Economics/NZzIQ99oLtsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Long+March+3A%27&pg=PA268&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Harvey, Brian (2004). China's Space Program — From Conception to Manned Spaceflight. Springer Praxis. pp. 221-222. ISBN 1-85233-566-1. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/China_s_Space_Program_From_Conception_to/XaqK7LOVsc0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Long+March+3A%22&pg=PA222&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ "Beidou 1A". NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2000-069A. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ "Beidou 1B". NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2000-082A. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ "Chang'e 1". NASA. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2007-051A. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ↑ Harvey, Brian. China in Space: The Great Leap Forward. Springer Praxis. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-4614-5042-9. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/China_in_Space/hZBAAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Long+March+3A%22&pg=PA89&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
External links
- LM-3A User's Manual (downloadable)
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