Function Carrier rocket Height 42 metres (138 ft) | Manufacturer CALT Diameter 3.35 metres (11.0 ft) | |
Country of origin People's Republic of China Mass 233,000 kilograms (514,000 lb) | ||
Long March 2C (LM-2C), or Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C) as in Chinese pinyin is a member of the Long March 2 rocket family, an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China. This vehicle was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, and the first launch occurred on September 9, 1982. It is a two-stage launch vehicle with storable propellants, consisting of Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine. The rocket was derived from the Long March 2A launch vehicle.
Several variants of this launch vehicle have been built, all using an optional third solid motor stage:
Shijian 11-04 launch failure
On August 18, 2011, a Long March 2C rocket failed during the launch of the Shijian 11-04 satellite. During the powered flight phase of the second stage, the connecting mechanism between vernier engine no.3 and the servo-control mechanism of the second stage failed, which led to loss of attitude control on the second stage.