Long March 2C

The Long March 2C (LM-2C), also known as the Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C), is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT),[2] the Long March 2C made its first launch on 9 September 1982. It is a two-stage launch vehicle with storable propellants, consisting of Nitrogen Tetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine. The rocket was derived from the DF-5 ICBM.[2]

Long March 2C

Function	Launch vehicle
Manufacturer	CALT
Country of origin	People's Republic of China
Size
Height	42 m (138 ft) [1]
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft) [1]
Mass	233,000 kg (514,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Mass	3,850 kg (8,490 lb)
Payload to SSO
Mass	2C: 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) 2C/SMA: 1,900 kg (4,200 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass	2C/SM: 1,250 kg (2,760 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	LA-2/138 and LA-4/SLS-2, JSLC LA-7 and LA-9, TSLC LA-3, XSLC
Total launches	54
Success(es)	53
Failure(s)	1
First flight	9 September 1982
Last flight	26 October 2020
First stage
Length	25.72 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	162,706 kg (358,705 lb)
Engines	4 YF-21C
Thrust	2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.5 m/s (8,387 ft/s)
Fuel	N2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Length	7.757 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	54,667 kg (120,520 lb)
Engines	1 YF-24E (1 x YF-22E (Main)) (4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Thrust	741.4 kN (166,700 lbf) (Main) 47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)
Specific impulse	2,922.37 m/s (9,587.8 ft/s) (Main) 2,834.11 m/s (9,298.3 ft/s) (Vernier)
Fuel	N2O4 / UDMH
Third stage – (optional)
Length	1.5 m
Diameter	2.7 m
Propellant mass	125 kg (276 lb)
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	10.78 kN (2,420 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,804 m/s (9,200 ft/s)
Fuel	HTPB

Several variants of this launch vehicle have been built, all using an optional third solid motor stage:[3]

• 2C/SD: Commercial satellite launcher with a multi-satellite smart dispenser allowing delivery of two satellites simultaneously
• 2C/SM: Version for delivery of small satellites to high orbits
• 2C/SMA: Improved version of the 2C/SM

Note that according to the website Gunter's Space Page,[4] in addition to the launches listed in the following table, there may have been six additional CZ-2C launches during 2014 and 2015. These possible launches apparently were conducted at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on the following dates: 9 January 2014, 7 August 2014, 2 December 2014, 7 June 2015, 20 August 2015, and 23 November 2015; five of these six launches were apparently successful, while the launch on 7 August 2014 appears to have failed. However, due to the lack of additional sources for these six launches, they are not currently included in the following launch list.

Aerodynamic grid fins were added on the Long March 2C in 2019 to help guide falling stages away from populated areas. China is studying using reusable rocket technology in the future.[5]