Long March 8

Long March 8 (Chinese: 长征八号运载火箭) is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).[4] The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its second stage. The boosters are omitted in the "core only" variant that first flew on its second launch in February 2022.[1]

Long March 8
Rendering of Long March 8 Y1
FunctionOrbital launch vehicle
ManufacturerChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)
Country of originChina
Size
Height
  • Standard: 50.34 m (165.2 ft)
  • Core only: 48 m (157 ft)[1]
  • CZ-8A: 50.5 m (166 ft)[2]
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass
  • Standard: 356,000 kg (785,000 lb)
  • Core only: 198,000 kg (437,000 lb)[1]
  • CZ-8A: 371,000 kg (818,000 lb)[2]
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to SSO 700 km
Mass
  • Standard: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb)
  • Core only: 3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[1]
  • CZ-8A: 7,000 kg (15,000 lb)[3]
Payload to LEO
Mass8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass2,800 kg (6,200 lb)
Payload to TLI
Mass1,500 kg (3,300 lb)
Associated rockets
ComparableSoyuz-2
Antares
Falcon 9 (RTLS reusable)
Atlas V 501
Ariane 62
H3-30
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesWenchang LC-2
Wenchang Commercial LC-1
Total launches3
Success(es)3
First flight22 December 2020
Last flight20 March 2024
Boosters (Standard) – K2 booster
No. boosters2 or 0
Height26.903 m (88.26 ft)
Diameter2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Powered by1 YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level: 1,200 kN (270,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 1,340 kN (300,000 lbf)
Total thrustSea level: 4,800 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 5,360 kN (1,200,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1 / LOX
First stage – K3 core module
Height25.083 m (82.29 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Powered by2 YF-100
Maximum thrustSea level: 2,400 kN (540,000 lbf)
Vacuum: 2,680 kN (600,000 lbf)
Specific impulseSea level: 300 s (2.9 km/s)
Vacuum: 335 s (3.29 km/s)
PropellantRP-1 / LOX
Second stage (CZ-8)
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.0 m (9.8 ft)
Powered by2 YF-75
Maximum thrust167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse438 s (4.30 km/s)
PropellantLH2 / LOX
Second stage (CZ-8A)
Height12.375 m (40.60 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Powered by2 YF-75H
Maximum thrust200 kN (45,000 lbf)
Specific impulse442.6 s (4.340 km/s)
PropellantLH2 / LOX

A planned future launch vehicle variant of the Long March 8 will be partially reusable by featuring a combined booster recovery of the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.[5]

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[6]

CZ-8A variant

An upgraded version of the Long March 8, the Long March 8A (Chinese: 长征八号甲运载火箭), will debut in 2024 with increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of the YF-75D engines (known as the YF-75H) with increased thrust to 10 tonnes each through measures such as increased turbopump speeds. The Long March 8A can also use a larger 5.2 meters diameter payload fairing.

Launch statistics
2
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
  •   Failure
  •   Partial failure
  •   Success
  •   Planned

List of launches
Main article: List of Long March launches
S.no Flight number Date
(UTC)		 Variant Launch site Payload Orbit Outcome
1 Y1 22 December 2020
04:37[6][7]		 Standard Wenchang, LC-2 Xinjishu Yanzheng 7 (XJY-7)
Haisi-1
Tianqi Xingzuo 08 (Ping'an-1)
Yuanguang-1
ET-SMART-RSS (Zhixing-1A)		 SSO Success
2 Y2 27 February 2022
03:06[8]		 Core only[8] Wenchang, LC-2 Dayun (Xingshidai-17)
Hainan-1 01, 02
Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D 10–18
Jilin-1 Mofang-02A 01
Qimingxing-1
Taijing-3 01
Taijing-4 01
Tianxian-1 (Chaohu-1)
Chuangxing Leishen
Wenchang-1 01, 02
XD-1
Tianqi-19		 SSO Success
3 Y3 20 March 2024
00:31[9]		 Standard Wenchang, LC-2 Queqiao-2
Tiandu-1
Tiandu-2		 Selenocentric Success
4 Y4 June 2024 [10] Standard Wenchang, LC-2 TBA LEO Planned
5 Y1 December 2024 [11] Standard Wenchang, LC-1 TBA LEO Planned

See also

References
  1. "长征八号遥二运载火箭飞行试验取得圆满成功". people.cn (in Chinese (China)). 27 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  2. Zhengyu, Song; Lidong, Liu; Xiaofei, Chen; Shanshu, Xu; Yitian, Wu (April 2023). "Development and Key Technologies of Long March 8 Family: China's Next-generation Medium-lift Launchers". Journal of Astronautics. 44 (4): 476–485. doi:10.3873/j.issn.1000-1328.2023.04.002. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  3. "长征八号改进型火箭二子级暨通用氢氧末级全系统试车成功！长征八号改进型火箭今年首飞 (All-Systems testing of upgraded Long March 8 second stage/universal LH2/LOX upper stage a success! Upgraded Long March 8 will first launch this year)" (in Chinese). CALT. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  4. 贾平凡 (28 December 2020). "长征八号首飞成功 中国运载火箭家族再添新成员" (in Simplified Chinese). 新华社. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. Jones, Andrew (30 April 2018). "China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher". SpaceNews. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  6. Jones, Andrew (22 December 2020). "China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport". SpaceNews. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  7. "长征八号运载火箭首次飞行试验取得圆满成功" [First Long March 8 rocket test flight was a complete success]. CNSA (in Chinese). 22 December 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  8. Jones, Andrew (27 February 2022). "China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare". SpaceNews. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  9. "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  10. "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  11. "China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications". Xinhua. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
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