Long March 6

The Long March 6 (Chinese: 长征六号运载火箭) or Chang Zheng 6 as in pinyin, abbreviated LM 6 for export or CZ 6 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fuelled launch vehicle of the Long March family, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) ^[7] and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The rocket was developed in the 2000s, and made its maiden flight in 2015.^[8] As one of the new generation rocket family, the Long March 6 was designed to be a light capacity, "high-speed response" rocket, complementing the heavy lift Long March 5 and the mid-heavy lift Long March 7 rocket families. It is capable of placing at least 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of payload into a Sun-synchronous orbit.^[9][8] The first stage of the Long March 6 was derived from the booster rockets being developed for the Long March 5 rocket. It is powered by a YF-100 engine, which generates 1,340 kN (300,000 lb_f) of thrust from burning kerosene and LOX as rocket fuel and oxidiser.^[8] This was the first flight of the new engine design.^[3]

Long March 6

Rendering of the Long March 6 launch vehicle
Function	Small launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology[1]
Country of origin	China
Size
Height	29 m (95 ft)
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Mass	103,000 kg (227,000 lb)
Stages	3 [2]
Capacity
Payload to 700 km (430 mi) SSO
Mass	1,080 kg (2,380 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Comparable	Minotaur-C, PSLV-CA
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Taiyuan, LA-16
Total launches	13
Success(es)	13
First flight	19 September 2015 [3]
Last flight	22 October 2024
First stage
Diameter	3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Propellant mass	61,000 kg (134,000 lb) to 76,000 kg (168,000 lb)
Powered by	1 YF-100
Maximum thrust	1,188 kN (267,000 lbf) [4]
Specific impulse	300 seconds (sea level) 335 seconds (vacuum) [5]
Propellant	RP-1/LOX
Second stage
Diameter	2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Propellant mass	15,000 kg (33,000 lb)
Powered by	1 YF-115
Maximum thrust	180 kN (40,000 lbf) [4]
Specific impulse	341.5 seconds (vacuum) [6]
Propellant	RP-1/LOX
Third stage
Diameter	2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
Powered by	1
Maximum thrust	6.5 kN (1,500 lbf) [4]
Specific impulse	306.9 seconds
Propellant	N2O4 / UDMH[4]

An enlarged variant, the Long March 6A, which has four strap-on solid boosters, an elongated stage one, a new stage two with the same diameter as the first stage, and a payload capacity of at least 4000 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit, made its maiden flight on 29 March 2022.^[10] A further iteration named the Long March 6C with a slightly shorter length than the 6A and without the four strap-on solid boosters had its successful maiden launch on 7 May 2024.^[11]

Launch statistics

1

2

3

4

2015

2020

•   Failure
•   Partial failure
•   Success
•   Planned

List of launches

Main article: List of Long March launches

Maiden flight of Long March 6 rocket

Flight number	Serial number	Date (UTC)	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Result
1	Y1	19 September 2015 23:01	Taiyuan, LA-16	ZDPS-2A, ZDPS-2B NS-2 ZJ-1, ZJ-2 Tiantuo 3 NUDT-Phone-Sat Xingchen 1/2/3/4 LilacSat 2 XY-2 DCBB Xiwang-2A/2B/2C/2E/2F	SSO	Success[8]
2	Y2	21 November 2017 04:50	Taiyuan, LA-16	Jilin 1-04/05/06	SSO	Success
3	Y4	13 November 2019 06:35	Taiyuan, LA-16	Ningxia-1 01 Ningxia-1 02 Ningxia-1 03 Ningxia-1 04 Ningxia-1 05	LEO	Success
4	Y3	6 November 2020 03:19	Taiyuan, LA-16	ÑuSat 9-18 (10 satellites)	SSO	Success
5	Y5	27 April 2021 03:20	Taiyuan, LA-16	Qilu-1 Qilu-4 Foshan-1 Zhongan Guotong-1 Tianqi-9 Origin Space NEO-1 Tai King II 01 Golden Bauhinia-1 01 Golden Bauhinia-1 02	SSO	Success
6	Y6	9 July 2021 11:59	Taiyuan, LA-16	Zhuzhou-1 01 Zhuzhou-1 02 Zhuzhou-1 03 Zhuzhou-1 04 Zhuzhou-1 05	LEO	Success
7	Y7	4 August 2021 11:01	Taiyuan, LA-16	KL-Beta A KL-Beta B	Polar	Success
8	Y8	5 November 2021 02:19	Taiyuan, LA-16	Guangmu-1 (CASEarth)	SSO	Success
9	Y10	10 August 2022 04:50	Taiyuan, LA-16	Jilin-1 GF-03D09, 35-43 Yunyao-1 04–08 Tianjin Binghai-1	SSO	Success
10	Y9	26 September 2022 23:50	Taiyuan, LA-16	Shiyan 16A Shiyan 16B Shiyan 17	SSO	Success
11	Y12	20 June 2023 03:18	Taiyuan, LA-16	Shiyan 25	SSO	Success
12	Y11	5 September 2024 18:30	Taiyuan, LA-16	Geely Constellation Group 03 (10 sats)	LEO	Success
13	Y13	22 October 2024 00:10	Taiyuan, LA-16	Tianping-3 A01 Tianping-3 B01 Tianping-3 B02	SSO	Success

Lists of launches for the related Long March 6A and Long March 6C can be found in their respective Wikipedia pages.

Long March 6 model with launch pad umbilical arm

See also

• Spaceflight portal
• China portal

• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems

References

1. "China conducts debut launch of Long March 6". NASASpaceflight. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
2. "突破运力"下限"的长征6号" [Advances in Light Capacity Long March 6] (in Chinese). Tencent Military Channel. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
3. The Long March 6 launched a 20-star in Taiyuan to create the best in Asia Sept 2015
4. ZHANG Wei-dong, WANG Dong-bao (2016). "New Generation Cryogenic Quick Launching Launch Vehicle and Development". Aerospace Shanghai.
5. "Chinese YF-100 (Russian RD-120) to Power CZ-5". SPACEPAC, The Space Public Affairs Committee. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
6. "中国新一代液氧煤油发动机3：YF100/115主要特性 - 深空网". www.shenkong.net (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
7. "Development of China's new "Changzheng 6" carrier rocket commences". People's Daily Online. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
8. "China conducts debut launch of Long March 6". 19 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
9. "Long March 6 - Spaceflight101". Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
10. "CZ-6 (Chang Zheng-6)". space.skyrocket.de. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
11. Jones, Andrew (7 May 2024). "China launches first Long March 6C rocket". spacenews.com. Retrieved 7 May 2024.