Long March 2C

The Long March 2C (LM-2C), also known as the Chang Zheng 2C (CZ-2C), is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, 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 metres (138 ft)[1]
Diameter	3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[1]
Mass	233,000 kilograms (514,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO	3,850 kilograms (8,490 lb)
Payload to SSO	2C: 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) 2C/SMA: 1,900 kilograms (4,200 lb)
Payload to GTO	2C/SM: 1,250 kilograms (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	53
Successes	52
Failures	1
First flight	9 September 1982
Last flight	10 June 2020
First stage
Length	25.72 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	162,706 kilograms (358,705 lb)
Engines	4 YF-21C
Thrust	2,961.6 kilonewtons (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.5 metres per second (8,387 ft/s)
Fuel	N2O4 / UDMH
Second stage
Length	7.757 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	54,667 kilograms (120,520 lb)
Engines	1 YF-24E (1 x YF-22E (Main)) (4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Thrust	741.4 kilonewtons (166,700 lbf) (Main) 47.1 kilonewtons (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)
Specific impulse	2,922.37 metres per second (9,587.8 ft/s) (Main) 2,834.11 metres per second (9,298.3 ft/s) (Vernier)
Fuel	N2O4 / UDMH
Third stage – (optional)
Length	1.5 m
Diameter	2.7 m
Propellant mass	125 kilograms (276 lb)
Engines	1 solid
Thrust	10.78 kilonewtons (2,420 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,804 metres per second (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]