Long March 3B

Long March 3B
	Rendering of Long March 3B
Function	Launch vehicle
Manufacturer	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Country of origin	China
Cost per launch	US$50-70 million
Size
Height	3B: 54.8 m (180 ft) ; 3B/E: 56.3 m (185 ft) ;
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass	3B: 425,800 kg (938,700 lb); 3B/E: 458,970 kg (1,011,860 lb) ;
Stages	3 / 4
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	11,500 kg (25,400 lb)
Payload to SSO
Mass	7,100 kg (15,700 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass	3B: 5,100 kg (11,200 lb) ; 3B/E: 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) ;
Payload to GEO
Mass	2,000 kg (4,400 lb)
Payload to HCO
Mass	3,300 kg (7,300 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Derivative work	Long March 3C
Comparable	Atlas V; Delta IV; Falcon 9 (reusable); GSLV Mk III; H-IIA; Zenit-3F;
Launch history
Status	3B: Retired (have opportunity to launch TianWen-2 in 2025); 3B/E: Active;
Launch sites	Xichang LC-2, LC-3
Total launches	99 3B: 12; 3B/E: 87; ;
Success(es)	95 3B: 10; 3B/E: 85; ;
Failure(s)	2; 3B: 1 (Intelsat 708); 3B/E: 1 (Palapa-N1);
Partial failure(s)	2; 3B: 1 (Palapa-D); 3B/E: 1 (ChinaSat 9A);
First flight	3B: 14 February 1996 (Intelsat 708); 3B/E: 13 May 2007 (NigComSat-1);
Last flight	3B: 18 September 2012 (Compass M5, M6); 3B/E: 10 October 2024; (Weixing Hulianwang Gaogui-03);
Type of passengers/cargo	Chang'e 3, Chang'e 4, BeiDou, ChinaSat
Boosters (3B)
No. boosters	4
Height	15.33 m (50.3 ft)
Diameter	2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass	37,700 kg (83,100 lb)
Powered by	1 × YF-25
Maximum thrust	740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s)
Burn time	127 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
Boosters (3B/E)
No. boosters	4
Height	16.1 m (53 ft)
Diameter	2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass	41,100 kg (90,600 lb)
Powered by	1 × YF-25
Maximum thrust	740.4 kN (166,400 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.2 m/s (260.66 s)
Burn time	140 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B)
Height	23.27 m (76.3 ft)
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass	171,800 kg (378,800 lb)
Powered by	4 × YF-21C
Maximum thrust	2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s)
Burn time	145 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
First stage (3B/E)
Height	24.76 m (81.2 ft)
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass	186,200 kg (410,500 lb)
Powered by	4 × YF-21C
Maximum thrust	2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s)
Burn time	158 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Height	12.92 m (42.4 ft)
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass	49,400 kg (108,900 lb)
Powered by	1 × YF-24E YF-22E (Main); YF-23F (Vernier); ;
Maximum thrust	742 kN (167,000 lbf) (Main); 47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier);
Specific impulse	2,922.57 m/s (9,588.5 ft/s) (Main); 2,910.5 m/s (9,549 ft/s) (Vernier);
Burn time	185 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
Third stage
Height	12.38 m (40.6 ft)
Diameter	3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Propellant mass	18,200 kg (40,100 lb)
Powered by	2 × YF-75
Maximum thrust	167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse	4,295 m/s (438.0 s)
Burn time	478 seconds
Propellant	LH2 / LOX
Fourth stage (optional) – YZ-1
Powered by	1 × YF-50D
Maximum thrust	6.5 kN (1,500 lbf)
Specific impulse	315.5 s (3.094 km/s)
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH
	[edit on Wikidata]

The Long March 3B (Chinese: 长征三号乙; pinyin: Chángzhēng sānhàoyǐ), also known as the CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is the heaviest variant of the Long March 3 rocket family, and is mainly used to place communications satellites and navigation satellites into geosynchronous orbits.

An enhanced version, the Long March 3B/E or G2, was introduced in 2007 to increase the rocket's geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) cargo capacity and lift heavier geosynchronous orbit (GEO) communications satellites. The Long March 3B also served as the basis for the medium-capacity Long March 3C, which was first launched in 2008.

As of 10 October 2024^[update], the Long March 3B, 3B/E and 3B/G5 have conducted 95 successful launches, plus 2 failures and 2 partial failures, accumulating a success rate of 96%.

^ "Cheap, reusable space launchers are still years away for Chinese military". 24 March 2021.
^ "How GSLV compares in the international launch market?". 29 July 2019.
^ "Long March 3B".
^ ^a ^b Mark Wade. "CZ-3B". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c "LM-3B". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011" (PDF). China Great Wall Industries Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3B (Chang Zheng-3B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 April 2008.

[1] "Cheap, reusable space launchers are still years away for Chinese military". 24 March 2021.

[2] "How GSLV compares in the international launch market?". 29 July 2019.

[3] "Long March 3B".

[EA-4] Mark Wade. "CZ-3B". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2008.

[cgwic.com-5] "LM-3B". China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.

[CGWIC_User_Manual-6] "LM-3A Series Launch Vehicle User's Manual - Issue 2011" (PDF). China Great Wall Industries Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.

[GSP-7] Gunter Krebs. "CZ-3B (Chang Zheng-3B)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 April 2008.

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