Long March 8 Explained

Long March 8 is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).^[4] The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its second stage. The boosters are omitted in the "core only" variant that first flew on its second launch in February 2022.^[1]

A planned future launch vehicle variant of the Long March 8 will be partially reusable by featuring a combined booster recovery of the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.^[5]

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

CZ-8A variant

An upgraded version of the Long March 8, the Long March 8A, will debut in 2024 with increased capability of up to 7 tonnes to a 700 km altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It implements a larger 3.35 meters diameter liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen second stage, coupled with 2 upgraded version of the YF-75D engines (known as the YF-75H) with increased thrust to 10 tonnes each through measures such as increased turbopump speeds. The Long March 8A can also use a larger 5.2 meters diameter payload fairing.

List of launches

See main article: List of Long March launches.

S.no	Flight number	Date (UTC)	Variant	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Outcome
1	Y1	22 December 2020 04:37[6] [7]	Standard	Wenchang, LC-2	Xinjishu Yanzheng 7 (XJY-7) Haisi-1 Tianqi Xingzuo 08 (Ping'an-1) Yuanguang-1 ET-SMART-RSS (Zhixing-1A)	SSO
2	Y2	27 February 2022 03:06[8]	Core only	Wenchang, LC-2	Dayun (Xingshidai-17) Hainan-1 01, 02 Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D 10–18 Jilin-1 Mofang-02A 01 Qimingxing-1 Taijing-3 01 Taijing-4 01 Tianxian-1 (Chaohu-1) Chuangxing Leishen Wenchang-1 01, 02 XD-1 Tianqi-19	SSO
3	Y3	20 March 2024 00:31[9]	Standard	Wenchang, LC-2	Queqiao-2 Tiandu-1 Tiandu-2	Selenocentric
4	Y5	Late 2024 [10]	Standard	Wenchang Commercial, LC-1	TBA	LEO
5	Y1	January 2025[11]	8A	Wenchang Commercial, LC-1	TBA	LEO

See also

• Long March 9
• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Expendable launch system
• Lists of rockets

Notes and References

1. Web site: 长征八号遥二运载火箭飞行试验取得圆满成功 . people.cn . 18 March 2023 . zh-cn . 27 February 2022.
2. Zhengyu . Song . Lidong . Liu . Xiaofei . Chen . Shanshu . Xu . Yitian . Wu . Development and Key Technologies of Long March 8 Family: China's Next-generation Medium-lift Launchers . Journal of Astronautics . April 2023 . 44 . 4 . 476-485 . 10.3873/j.issn.1000-1328.2023.04.002 . 7 June 2024.
3. Web site: 长征八号改进型火箭二子级暨通用氢氧末级全系统试车成功！长征八号改进型火箭今年首飞 (All-Systems testing of upgraded Long March 8 second stage/universal LH2/LOX upper stage a success! Upgraded Long March 8 will first launch this year) . . 7 June 2024 . Chinese.
4. Web site: 长征八号首飞成功 中国运载火箭家族再添新成员 . 贾平凡 . 2020-12-28 . 新华社 . zh-hans . 2022-02-27 .
5. Web site: Jones. Andrew. China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher. 30 April 2018 . SpaceNews. 6 December 2020.
6. Web site: Jones . Andrew . China launches first Long March 8 from Wenchang spaceport . . 22 December 2020 . 22 December 2020.
7. Web site: 长征八号运载火箭首次飞行试验取得圆满成功 . First Long March 8 rocket test flight was a complete success . . 22 December 2020 . 22 December 2020 . zh.
8. Web site: Jones . Andrew . China launches national record 22 satellites on Long March 8 commercial rideshare . . 27 February 2022 . 1 March 2022.
9. Web site: China launches new relay satellite for Earth-Moon communications . Xinhua . 20 March 2024 . 21 March 2024.
10. Web site: 长征八号运载火箭完成转场合练，海南商发一号发射工位将迎来首飞任务 . Sina.com . Long March 8 rocket completed pad dress rehearsal ahead of first launch from Wenchang Commercial Launch Site Pad No. 1 . 8 November 2024 . 9 November 2024.
11. Web site: 长征八号甲运载火箭模型将首次亮相中国航展，计划 2025 年 1 月首飞 . Sina.com . Long March 8A rocket model will appear at the China Airshow for the first time; first launch planned for January 2025 . 9 November 2024 . 9 November 2024.