Long March 3A

For the similarly-named submachine gun, see CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1.

Long March 3A

Drawing of Long March 3A
Function	Carrier rocket
Manufacturer	CALT
Country of origin	China
Size
Height	52.52 metres (172.3 ft)[1]
Diameter	3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[1]
Mass	241,000 kilograms (531,000 lb)[1]
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO	8,500 kilograms (18,700 lb)[2][3]
Payload to GTO	2,600 kilograms (5,700 lb)[4][2]
Payload to HCO	1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb)[2][3]
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Derivatives	Long March 3B Long March 3C
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	LA-2 & LA-3, XSLC
Total launches	23[4]
Successes	23[4]
First flight	8 February 1994[4]
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	1 YF-75
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. It is a 3-stage rocket, and is usually used to place communications satellites and Beidou navigation satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbits.

It has formed the basis of the Long March 3B, which is a heavier version with four liquid booster rockets.

Launches

Long March 3A rockets have been launched from Launch Areas 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

List of launches

Technical data

LM-3A is a 3-stage launch vehicle developed on the basis of LM-3 and LM-2C. Its third stage is powered by cryogenic propellants: liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. It is dedicated for launching spacecraft into GTO. Its launch capability for GTO mission is 2,600 kg. The fairing static envelope is 3m in diameter.^[4]

References

Long March rockets LM 1 family Long March 1 1D LM 2 family Feng Bao 1 Long March 2A 2C 2D 2E 2E(A) 2F LM 3 family Long March 3 3A 3B 3B/E 3B(A) 3C LM 4 family Long March 4A 4B 4C LM 5 family Long March 5 LM 6 family Long March 6 LM 7 family Long March 7 LM 8 family Long March 8 LM 9 family Long March 9 LM 11 family Long March 11 List of Long March launches China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology