Neha Patil (Editor)

Long March 1D

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Function
  
Orbital launch vehicle

Country of origin
  
China

Diameter
  
2.25 m (7.4 ft)

Manufacturer
  
CALT

Height
  
28.22 m (92.6 ft)

Mass
  
81,650 kg (180,010 lb)

During the 1990s CALT developed an improved version of the DF-4 to test the reentry vehicle warheads of the DF-31. They took advantage of this development and offered it as the Long March 1D for commercial application. The modification included:

  • An DF-4 improved first stage, which used the new version of the YF-2B, and switched propellants to UDMH/N2O4 for improved performance.
  • The use switch of the second stage YF-3A, for the Long March 4 third stage engine, the YF-40.
  • A new, cylinder interstage between the second and third stage, which enabled to add RCS to the third stage. The olde one was tapered.
  • A new third stage with a new motor, the FG-36 and an optional RCS.
  • A new computer inertial guidance system which enabled the third stage to be 3-axis stabilized for added precision.

    • The new design did not had a good reception and was only used for reentry vehicle tests. It flew three suborbital missions from Taiyuan LC-1 with two successes and a failure on the final mission. The first launch was on June 1, 1995 and the second one was on November 1997. The final and failed on was on January 3, 2002.

    References

    Long March 1D Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA