Long March family
Long March 3B
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.
Flights flown24
Success rate87.5%21/24
Payload to LEO11,500kg
Cost per kg to LEO$6,087$70M per launch
Maiden flight1996-02-14
Peak year20204 flights
Long March 3B is built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation of China. It first flew on 14 February 1996.
Flight record
87.5% success rate21 of 24 flown · 3 failed
1996peak 2020 · 4 flights2023
First flight1996-02-14
Latest flight2023-05-17
Failures3
Consecutive successes3
Fastest turnaround25d 23h
Payload
| Low Earth orbit | 11,500kg |
|---|---|
| Geostationary transfer orbit | 5,100kg |
| Geostationary orbit | 2,000kg |
| Launch cost | $70M |
| Cost per kg to LEO | $6,087 |
Vehicle
| Stages | 3 |
|---|---|
| Length | 54.8m |
| Diameter | 3.35m |
| Launch mass | 426t |
| Liftoff thrust | 5,923kN |
| Maiden flight | 1996-02-14 |
| Reusable | No |
Pads used
Orbits delivered
Geostationary Transfer Orbit11Geostationary Orbit9Lunar Orbit1
Compare
Launch history
| Date | Mission | Pad | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-17 | Long March 3B/E | Beidou-3 G4 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2021-06-02 | Long March 3B | Fengyun-4B | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2020-06-23 | Long March 3B | Beidou-3 G3 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2020-04-09 | Long March 3B | Nusantara Dua | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Failure |
| 2020-03-09 | Long March 3B | Beidou-3 G2 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2020-01-07 | Long March 3B | TJS-5 (TJSW-5) | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2019-01-10 | Long March 3B | Zhongxing 2D (Chinasat 2D) | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2018-11-01 | Long March 3B | Beidou-3 G1 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2017-04-12 | Long March 3B | Shijian-13/Chinasat-16 | Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2017-01-05 | Long March 3B | TJS-2 (TJSW-2) | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2016-12-10 | Long March 3B | Fengyun-4A | Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) | Geostationary Transfer Orbit | Success |
| 2013-12-01 | Long March 3B | Chang'e 3 & Yutu | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Lunar Orbit | Success |
| 2011-06-20 | Long March 3B | Chinasat-10 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Success | |
| 2010-09-04 | Long March 3B | Chinasat-6A | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Success | |
| 2009-08-31 | Long March 3B | Palapa-D | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Failure | |
| 2008-06-09 | Long March 3B | Zhongxing 9 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 2007-07-05 | Long March 3B | Zhongxing 6B | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 2006-10-28 | Long March 3B | Xinnuo 2 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 2005-04-12 | Long March 3B | Apstar 6 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 1998-07-18 | Long March 3B | Xinnuo 1 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 1998-05-30 | Long March 3B | Zhongwei 1 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 1997-10-16 | Long March 3B | Apstar 2R | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 1997-08-19 | Long March 3B | Agila 2 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Success |
| 1996-02-14 | Long March 3B | INTELSAT 708 | Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) | Geostationary Orbit | Failure |
Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.
Further reading: Wikipedia