Long March 3

CZ-3

Mission Profile

The Long March 3 (CZ-3) was a three-stage Chinese launch vehicle in the Long March 2,3,4 family, China's first rocket with a cryogenic hydrogen/oxygen third stage for geostationary transfer orbit delivery. Standing 44.6 m tall with a 3.4 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 202 tonnes, it generated 2,962 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 5,000 kg to low Earth orbit or 1,500 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. First flying in January 1984, the Long March 3 gave China independent access to geostationary orbit and launched early Chinese communications satellites, establishing the foundation for the Long March 3A/3B series.