Engineering:Long March 6A
 Rendering of Long March 6A | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 50 m (160 ft) 52 m (171 ft) with extended fairing |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | 530,000 kg (1,170,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[1] |
| Payload to 500 km (310 mi) SSO | 6,500 kg (14,300 lb)[2] |
| Payload to 700 km (430 mi) SSO | 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Comparable | Antares Soyuz-2 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Taiyuan, LA-9A |
| Total launches | 18 |
| Successes | 18 |
| First flight | 29 March 2022 |
| Last flight | 17 October 2025 (most recent) |
| Boosters – FG-112 | |
| No. boosters | 4 |
| Length | 15.1 m (50 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in) |
| Thrust | 1,214 kN (273,000 lbf) |
| Total thrust | 4,828 kN (1,085,000 lbf) |
| Fuel | solid |
| First stage | |
| Length | 30.5 m (100 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Engines | 2 × YF-100 |
| Thrust | 2,376 kN (534,000 lbf)[3] |
| Specific impulse |
|
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
| Second stage | |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Engines | 1 × YF-115 |
| Thrust | 180 kN (40,000 lbf)[3] |
| Specific impulse | vac: 341.5 s (3.349 km/s)[5] |
| Fuel | RP-1/LOX |
The Long March 6A (Chinese: 长征六号甲运载火箭) or Chang Zheng 6A as in pinyin, abbreviated LM 6A for export or CZ 6A within China, is a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle in the Long March family, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).[6]
The vehicle is a further development of the Long March 6, with two YF-100 engines on the first stage as opposed to one on the Long March 6, augmented by four solid rocket boosters. The Long March 6A is China's first rocket with solid rocket boosters, and only one so far to combine solid and liquid fuel technology in one rocket.[7] There also exists a shorter boosterless variant of the 6A called the Long March 6C.
The maiden launch of the Long March 6A took place on March 29, 2022, successfully reaching orbit.[8] It was also the first launch from the newly built launch complex 9A in Taiyuan.
Launch statistics
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List of launches
| Flight number |
Serial number |
Date (UTC) | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y1 | 29 March 2022 09:50[8] |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Pujiang-2 Tiankun-2 |
SSO | Success |
| 2 | Y2 | 11 November 2022 22:52 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Yunhai-3 01 | SSO | Success |
| 3 | Y5 | 10 September 2023 04:30 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Yaogan 40-01A Yaogan 40-01B Yaogan 40-01C |
LEO | Success |
| 4 | Y4 | 31 October 2023 22:50 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Tianhui 5A Tianhui 5B |
SSO | Success |
| 5 | Y3 | 26 March 2024 22:51 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Yunhai-3 02 | SSO | Success |
| 6 | Y7 | 4 July 2024 22:49 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Tianhui 5C Tianhui 5D |
SSO | Success |
| 7 | Y21 | 6 August 2024 06:42 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 01) | Polar | Success |
| 8 | Y20 | 15 October 2024 11:06 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 02) | Polar | Success |
| 9 | Y22 | 5 December 2024 04:41 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 03) | Polar | Success |
| 10 | Y6 | 23 January 2025 05:15 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 06) | Polar | Success |
| 11 | Y11 | 18 April 2025 22:51 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Shiyan 27-01 Shiyan 27-02 Shiyan 27-03 Shiyan 27-04 Shiyan 27-05 Shiyan 27-06 |
SSO | Success |
| 12 | Y9 | 11 May 2025 13:27 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Yaogan 40-02A Yaogan 40-02B Yaogan 40-02C |
Polar | Success |
| 13 | Y8 | 5 June 2025 20:45 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Huliangwang × 5 (SatNet LEO Group 04) | LEO | Success |
| 14 | Y14 | 27 July 2025 10:03 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Huliangwang × 5 (SatNet LEO Group 05) | LEO | Success |
| 15 | Y10 | 17 August 2025 14:15 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Huliangwang × 5 (SatNet LEO Group 09) | LEO | Success |
| 16 | Y12 | 6 September 2025 16:34 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Yaogan 40-03A Yaogan 40-03B Yaogan 40-03C |
Polar | Success |
| 17 | Y16 | 27 September 2025 12:40 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Huliangwang × 5 (SatNet LEO Group 11) | LEO | Success |
| 18 | Y24 | 17 October 2025 07:08 |
Taiyuan, LA-9A | Qianfan × 18 (G60 Polar Group 18) | Polar | Success |
Anomalies
Some upper stages fragmented before reentry
After the release of the Yunhai 3 following the Y2 launch of 11 November 2022, the Long March 6's upper stage broke up into more than 50 pieces of debris, which expanded to more than 781 pieces. The vehicle was supposed to re-enter in one piece and then burn up.[9][10] Following the November 2022 breakup, similar events were observed after the 26 March 2024, 4 July 2024, and 6 August 2024 launches. The reason for the break ups are unclear, but may be related to upper stage passivation or insulation.[11][12]
See also
- List of Long March launches (2025-2029)
- Comparison of orbital launchers families
- Comparison of orbital launch systems
References
- ↑ "[Technology·Aerospace Long March 6A carrier rocket and its technical features!"]. 2022-06-26. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/533341001?utm_id=0.
- ↑ "[The Paper 18 satellites in one launch! Successful launch !"]. 2025-01-23. https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_30008221.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 ZHANG Wei-dong, WANG Dong-bao (2016). "New Generation Cryogenic Quick Launching Launch Vehicle and Development". Aerospace Shanghai.
- ↑ "Chinese YF-100 (Russian RD-120) to Power CZ-5". SPACEPAC, The Space Public Affairs Committee. http://spacepac.org/wp/china/chinese-yf-100-russian-rd-120-to-power-cz-5.
- ↑ "中国新一代液氧煤油发动机3：YF100/115主要特性 - 深空网" (in Chinese). Archived from the original. Error: If you specify
|archiveurl=, you must also specify|archivedate=. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055915/http://www.shenkong.net/Explore/1410/ZGXYDYYMYFDJ3-YF100-115ZYTX26045110.htm. - ↑ "Development of China's new "Changzheng 6" carrier rocket commences". People's Daily Online. 2009-09-04. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90881/6748699.html.
- ↑ "China launches first Long March rocket with solid boosters". https://spacenews.com/china-launches-first-long-march-rocket-with-solid-boosters/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Beil, Adrian (29 March 2022). "China debuts Chang Zheng 6A, teases more variants". NASASpaceFlight. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/03/cz-6a-debut/.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (14 November 2022). "Chinese rocket body breaks up in orbit after successful satellite launch". https://www.space.com/chinese-rocket-body-breaks-up-after-satellite-launch.
- ↑ "Evolution of Major Debris Clouds in Low Earth Orbit". NASA. https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv27i3.pdf.
- ↑ Jones, Andrew (2024-07-12). "China's Long March 6A rocket appears to have an orbital debris problem" (in en-US). https://spacenews.com/chinas-long-march-6a-rocket-appears-to-have-an-orbital-debris-problem/.
- ↑ @S4S_SDA (7 August 2024). "#S4S has confirmed the breakup of a Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China, on Aug. 7, 2024. Analysis ongoing. #spacedebris #SDA @SpaceTrackOrg @US_SpaceCom". https://twitter.com/S4S_SDA/status/1821320706044653969.
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