Overview
Manufacturer: CALT
Cost: $25 million (1999)
Stages: 2 or 3
Height: 42 m (180 ft)
Diameter: 3.35 m (11 ft)
Mass: 233,000 kgs (938,700 lbs)
Payload capacity (to low earth orbit): 3,850 kgs (25,400 lbs)
Maiden flight: September 9, 1982
Variants
2C/SD: active
2C/SM: retired
2C/SMA: active
Stage 1
Length: 7.76 m
Engine: 1x YF-24E
Fuel: N2O4 / UDMH
Thrust: 742 kN (167,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 185 seconds
Stage 2
Length: 7.76 m
Engine: 1x YF-24E
Fuel: N2O4 / UDMH
Thrust: 742 kN (167,000 lbf)
Burn Time: 185 seconds
Stage 3 (optional)
Length: 1.5 m
Diameter: 2.7 m
Engine: 1x SRB
Fuel: HTPB
Thrust: 10.78 kN (2,420 lbf)
The Long March 2C was first launched on November 26, 1975. The rocket was based on the DF-5 ICBM and became China’s definitive low Earth orbit launch vehicle. Since its first launch, the Long March 2C has gone through a number of iterations. The 2C/SD is the most recent primary variant of the rocket and features a multi-satellite smart dispenser that allows it to deploy two satellites simultaneously. The 2C/SMA is an upgraded version of the 2C/SM and is utilised to deploy small satellites into high orbits.
Unlike many of the other Long March rockets, the 2C has been and is launched from every major launch center in China. Launch facilities have been built for the rocket at the Xichang, Taiyuan, and Jiuquan satellite launch centers. The rocket has been launched over 46 times suffering just a single failure in August 2011.
