The Long March 3B (CZ-3B) is a Chinese heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). It is part of the Long March 3 series and is specifically designed for launching large payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), making it one of China's most powerful rockets. The Long March 3B is a three-stage rocket with four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters to increase its lifting capability. First launched in 1996, the rocket has been widely used to carry communication satellites and other large spacecraft.

Specs

Height: 56.3 meters (184.8 feet)

Diameter: 3.35 meters (11 feet)

Liftoff Mass: 456 metric tons

Stages: 3 stages

Boosters: 4 solid rocket boosters

Propellant: Hypergolic propellants – Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide (N₂O₄) as oxidizer

Main Engines: YF-25 engines (Stage 1), YF-24 engines (Stage 2), and YF-75 engines (Stage 3)

Thrust (at liftoff): ~3,120 kN (700,000 lbf) from the first stage

Powered by hypergolic propellants—unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N₂O₄) as the oxidizer—the CZ-3B offers a payload capacity of 5,500 kg to GTO and around 12,000 kg to LEO. The Long March 3B is often employed for commercial satellite launches, with a long record of missions, including international clients. It has played a critical role in establishing China’s foothold in the global space industry.

The space center was built in the early 1980s and takes its name from the closest city, Xichang in Sichuan Province, the People's Republic of China.

It is used to launch international scientific and commercial missions as well as satellites for the military.

The site is landlocked, so launches have to take place over land and populated areas.

This creates a potential danger to people living in the path of falling rocket stages and boosters that are discarded during launch.

Photo credit: CGTN