Long March 5B

CZ-5B

Mission Profile

The Long March 5B (CZ-5B) is a single-core-stage Chinese heavy-lift launch vehicle in the Long March 5 family, a unique configuration without an upper stage designed for direct injection of large payloads into low Earth orbit under the Chinese Space Station programme. Standing 53.7 m tall with a 5 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 849 tonnes, it generates 10,620 kN of liftoff thrust and can deliver 25,000 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in May 2020, the Long March 5B launched the core modules and laboratory modules of China's Tiangong space station, though the vehicle drew international criticism for its uncontrolled reentries of the large core stage.