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A quick guide to China's Long March rocket series(2)

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2016-06-25 21:05Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping

LONG MARCH-4

The Long March-4 series of carrier rockets consists of Feng Bao-1 (or "Storm-1"), the Long March-4, Long March-4A and Long March-4B.

The series is mainly used to send satellites into the geostationary orbit and the solar-synchronous orbit.

Feng Bao-1 is a two-stage liquid-fueled rocket that is used to launch LEO satellites. It has a full length of 32.57 meters and maximum diameter of 3.35 meters.

The rocket successfully launched three satellites simultaneously into orbit in 1981 and was suspended of operation in 1982.

The Long March-4 is a three-stage regular carrier rocket developed on the basis of Feng Bao-1 as an alternative solution to send the GTO satellite into space.

The Long March-4A and -4B, the derivations of the Long March-4, are used to launch Sun synchronous orbit (SSO) satellites. The Long March-4A has a length of 41.9 meters and the Long March-4B has a length of 45.58 meters. Both have a maximum diameter of 3.35 meters.

Long March-5

Designed as the country's strongest carrier rocket, Long March-5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbit, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.

It is scheduled to carry the Chang'e-5 lunar probe around 2017, and will be used to shoot up China's planned space station modules and Mars probes.

Earlier reports said the Long March-5 will also make its debut later this year.

Long March-6

The Long March-6 is a three-stage rocket mainly used to launch micro-satellites.

Fueled by liquid propellant - liquid oxygen and kerosene - the new carrier rocket is China's first carrier rocket that uses non-toxic and non-polluting fuel.

On Sept. 20, 2015, China launched a Long March-6 rocket which carried 20 micro-satellites into the space in its maiden flight.

Long March-11

The Long March-11 is a four-stage solid-propellant rocket mainly used for launching micro-satellites.

It is the only series in the Long March family that uses solid propellants.

A Long March-11 rocket carried four micro-satellites into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Sept. 25, 2015.

  

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