Function Carrier rocket Diameter 3.35 metres (11.0 ft) | Manufacturer CALT Height 54.8 metres (180 ft) | |
Mass 345,000 kilograms (761,000 lb) | ||
The Long March 3C (simplified Chinese: 长征三号丙火箭; traditional Chinese: 長征三號丙火箭; pinyin: Chángzhēng Sānhào Bǐng Huǒjiàn), also known as the Changzheng 3C, CZ-3C and LM-3C, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from Launch Complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. A 3-stage rocket with two strapon liquid rocket boosters, it is a member of the Long March 3 rocket family, and was derived from the Long March 3B. It was designed to fill a gap in payload capacities between the Long March 3A and 3B.
Launches
It made its maiden flight on 25 April 2008, at 15:35 GMT. The payload for the first launch was the Tianlian-1 data relay communications satellite. The second carried the Compass-G2 navigation satellite, and was conducted on 14 April 2009. The third launch was made on 16 January 2010, with the Compass-G1 satellite. The fourth carrying the Compass-G3 navigation satellite was launched on 2 June 2010. On 1 October 2010, it successfully launched China's second lunar probe, Chang'e 2.
An enhanced version of the Long March 3C rocket debuted during the launch of Chang'e 5-T1 on 23 October 2014. On 30 March 2015 the Yuanzheng-1 upper stage was used on top of a Long March 3C rocket for the first time.