The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

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Aseries of Chinese launch vehicles, the most recent
of which support China’s current unmanned and
nascent manned space programs. Long March rockets
are descendants of ballistic missiles developed by
China in the 1960s following the breakdown of Sino-
Soviet relations in June 1959. They fall into three generations.
First Generation
CZ-1
China’s first orbital launch vehicle, derived from the
DF-3 (Dong Fang, whose name means “east wind”)
missile, which was designed by Hsue-shen Tsien but
never built. A 29.5-m-long three-stage rocket, the first
two stages of which used liquid propellant and the
third solid propellant, the CZ-1 launched the first two
Chinese satellites in 1970 and 1971 after a failure in
November 1969.
Second Generation
Long March (Chang Zeng, CZ)
FB-1
Little is known of this launch vehicle except that like
the CZ-2, it was developed from the two-stage, liquidpropellant
DF-5 intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM); FB stands for Feng Bao, which means
“storm.” It made four orbital flights between 1975 and
1981.
CZ-2A
Believed to be very similar to FB-1; it was launched
only once, in November 1974.
CZ-2B
The B designation was reserved for FB-1.
CZ-2C
A successful LEO (low Earth orbit) rocket with a payload
of about 2,800 kg, derived from the DF-5 ICBM,
which formed the basis for future Long March launch
vehicles. On October 6, 1992, on its thirteenth flight,
the CZ-2C successfully launched the Swedish Freja
satellite as a copassenger. On April 28, 1993, the Chinese
Great Wall Industrial Corporation and Moto-
rola signed a contract for multiple launch of Iridium
satellites using the CZ-2C/SD, a 2C variant with a
newly developed Smart Dispenser and improved second-stage
tanks and engines. The first deployment
launches for the Iridium program (each carrying two
satellites) went ahead successfully in 1997–1998.
Third Generation
CZ-3
A three-stage launch vehicle designed to place satellites
into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or sunsynchronous
orbit. The majority of the technology
and flight hardware used in the CZ-3, including the
first and second stages, was proven by the CZ-2C. The
new third stage was equipped with a liquid oxygen/
liquid hydrogen cryogenic engine. The CZ-3’s GTO
payload was about 1,500 kg.
CZ-3A
Similar to the CZ-3 but with a more powerful third
stage, raising GTO payload capacity to about 2,700
kg, and a more capable attitude control system. By
June 1998, the CZ-3A had made three consecutive
successful launches and was offered to international
customers.
CZ-3B
A powerful variant of the Long March launch vehicle,
with a payload capacity of about 5,000 kg. It was based
on the CZ-3A but had enlarged propellant tanks,
larger fairing, and four boosters strapped onto the core
stage.
CZ-3C
A launch vehicle that combined the CZ-3B core with
two boosters from the CZ-2E. The standard CZ-3C
fairing is 9.56 m long and 4.0 m in diameter.
CZ-4
A three-stage vehicle that uses storable propellants
and is intended for launching satellites into polar or
sun-synchronous orbits. It differs from the CZ-3
mainly in its third stage, which features thin-wall tankage
and two gimbaled engines. On September 7, 1988,