Long March 3B Vehicle Overview
A complete overview of the Long March 3B launch vehicle, including launch stats, vehicle info and launch locations.
Basic Info
Name
Long March 3B
Family
Long March 3
Manufacturer
First Launch
14 Feb 1996
Successful Launches
99
Failed Launches
4
Rocket Info (Long March 3B/E)
Status
Active
Stages
3
Length
56.3 m
Diameter
3.35 m
Launch Mass
456 tons
Thrust
5,924 kN
Reusability
Not Reusable
Payload Info (Long March 3B/E)
LEO Capacity
12,000 kg
GTO Capacity
5,500 kg
Launch Cost
$70M
The Long March 3B is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is currently the most powerful member of the Long March rocket family and the heaviest of the Long March 3 rocket family, and is mainly used to place communications satellites into geosynchronous orbits.
Launch Sites used by Long March 3B
Xichang Satellite Launch Center
A major Chinese spaceport for scientific, civil, and military satellite launches since 1984.