Long March 3B reaches 100th launch milestone
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 04, 2024

China successfully launched a Long March 3B rocket on Tuesday afternoon from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, delivering an experimental satellite, Communication Technology Demonstrator 13, into its intended orbit, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The rocket lifted off at 1:56 pm, marking a significant achievement as the 100th launch of the Long March 3B, the first Chinese rocket model to reach this milestone. All 100 missions were executed from the Xichang spaceport.

Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a subsidiary of CASC, the Long March 3B is a mid-lift rocket standing 56.3 meters tall with a diameter of 3.35 meters. Equipped with three stages and four side boosters, it uses liquid-propellant engines and has a liftoff weight of 456 metric tons. Its primary role is to transport satellites into geostationary transfer orbit, with a payload capacity of 5.5 tons. The rocket is also capable of delivering spacecraft to medium-Earth and lunar transfer orbits.

Development of the Long March 3B began in July 1989, with government funding approved in 1993. Its maiden flight in February 1996 aimed to deploy a communications satellite but ended in failure due to a guidance issue. The model rebounded in August 1997, successfully launching a satellite for a Filipino aerospace company.

Since then, the Long March 3B has been instrumental in various national space programs, including launching Beidou satellites and supporting lunar exploration missions such as Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4. Beidou, one of China's major satellite systems, is part of the global navigation network that includes GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. Over the past two decades, the Long March 3 series rockets have carried 64 Beidou satellites into orbit.

Tuesday's launch was China's 60th space mission of the year and the 549th flight in the Long March rocket family. The Communication Technology Demonstrator 13 satellite, designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary, will support satellite communications, signal relay for radio and television, data transmission, and advanced technological testing.

Related Links
China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
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