Head to head
Long March 3B/E vs Space Shuttle
Two vehicles in the same payload class. Every figure below comes from the same two sources for both rockets, and a row appears only when both publish the input.
Payload to low Earth orbit
Side by side
| Metric | Long March 3B/E | Space Shuttle |
|---|---|---|
| Flights flown | 78 | 135 |
| Success rate | 97.4% | 98.5% |
| Payload to LEO (kg) | 12,000 | 27,500 |
| Launch cost | $70M | $450M |
| Cost per kg to LEO | $5,833 | $16,364 |
| Liftoff thrust (kN) | 5,924 | 28,200 |
| Length (m) | 56.3 | 56.1 |
| Diameter (m) | 3.35 | 8 |
| Launch mass (t) | 456 | 2030 |
| Stages | 3 | 2 |
Long March 3B/E
97.4% success rate76 of 78 flown · 2 failed
2007peak 2025 · 13 flights2026
Space Shuttle
98.5% success rate133 of 135 flown · 2 failed
1981peak 1985 · 9 flights2011
Long March 3B/E is built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation of China.Space Shuttle is built by National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States (company profile on Space Index).
Full specifications and the complete launch history for each: Long March 3B/E · Space Shuttle.
Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.