Long March 8#CZ-8A variant

{{Short description|Chinese orbital launch vehicle}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}

{{use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox rocket

| name = Long March 8

| image = CZ-8 Y1 rendering.jpg

| caption = Rendering of Long March 8 Y1

| function = Orbital launch vehicle

| manufacturer = China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)

| country-origin = China

| pcost =

| cpl =

| alt-cpl =

| height =

• Standard: {{cvt|50.34|m}}
• Core only: {{cvt|48|m}}{{cite web |title=长征八号遥二运载火箭飞行试验取得圆满成功 |url=http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2022/0227/c1004-32360646.html |website=people.cn |access-date=18 March 2023 |language=zh-cn |date=27 February 2022}}
• CZ-8A: {{cvt|50.5|m}}{{cite journal |last1=Zhengyu |first1=Song |last2=Lidong |first2=Liu |last3=Xiaofei |first3=Chen |last4=Shanshu |first4=Xu |last5=Yitian |first5=Wu |title=Development and Key Technologies of Long March 8 Family: China's Next-generation Medium-lift Launchers |journal=Journal of Astronautics |date=April 2023 |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=476-485 |doi=10.3873/j.issn.1000-1328.2023.04.002 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370029751_xinyidaizhongxingxilieyunzaihuojianzhangzhengbahaodefazhanjiqiguanjianjishu |access-date=7 June 2024}}

| diameter = {{cvt|3.35|m}}

| mass = * Standard: {{cvt|356000|kg}}

• Core only: {{cvt|198000|kg}}
• CZ-8A: {{cvt|371000|kg}}

| stages = 2

| capacities =

{{Infobox rocket/payload

| location = SSO 700 km

| kilos = * Standard: {{cvt|5000|kg}}

• Core only: {{cvt|3000|kg}}
• CZ-8A: {{cvt|7000|kg}}{{cite web |title=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) |url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dxbzGMZdnlaUbucH6FczjA |publisher=CALT |access-date=7 June 2024 |language=Chinese}}

}}

{{Infobox rocket/payload

| location = LEO

| kilos = {{cvt|8100|kg}}

}}

{{Infobox rocket/payload

| location = GTO

| kilos = {{cvt|2800|kg}}

}}

{{Infobox rocket/payload

| location = TLI

| kilos = {{cvt|1500|kg}}

}}

| family =

| derivatives =

| comparable = Soyuz-2
Antares
Falcon 9 (RTLS reusable)
Atlas V 501
Ariane 62
H3-30

| status = Active

| sites = Wenchang LC-2
Wenchang Commercial LC-1

| launches = 5 (8:4, 8A:1)

| success = 5 (8:4, 8A:1)

| fail =

| partial =

| other_outcome =

| first = 22 December 2020

| last = 11 March 2025

| stagedata =

{{Infobox rocket/stage

| type = booster

| diff = Standard

| name = K2 booster

| number = 2 or 0

| length = {{cvt|26.903|m}}

| diameter = {{cvt|2.25|m}}

| empty =

| gross =

| propmass =

| engines = 1 YF-100

| thrust = Sea level: {{cvt|1200|kN}}
Vacuum: {{cvt|1340|kN}}

| total = Sea level: {{cvt|4800|kN}}
Vacuum: {{cvt|5360|kN}}

| SI = Sea level: {{cvt|300|isp}}
Vacuum: {{cvt|335|isp}}

| burntime =

| fuel = RP-1 / LOX

}}

{{Infobox rocket/stage

| type = stage

| diff =

| stageno = First

| name = K3 core module

| length = {{cvt|25.083|m}}

| diameter = {{cvt|3.35|m}}

| empty =

| gross =

| propmass =

| engines = 2 YF-100

| thrust = Sea level: {{cvt|2400|kN}}
Vacuum: {{cvt|2680|kN}}

| total =

| SI = Sea level: {{cvt|300|isp}}
Vacuum: {{cvt|335|isp}}

| burntime =

| fuel = RP-1 / LOX

}}

{{Infobox rocket/stage

| type = stage

| diff = CZ-8

| stageno = Second

| length = {{cvt|12.375|m}}

| diameter = {{cvt|3.0|m}}

| empty =

| gross =

| propmass =

| engines = 2 YF-75

| thrust = {{cvt|167.17|kN}}

| SI = {{cvt|438|isp}}

| burntime =

| fuel = {{LH2}} / LOX

}}

{{Infobox rocket/stage

| type = stage

| diff = CZ-8A

| stageno = Second

| length = {{cvt|12.375|m}}

| diameter = {{cvt|3.35|m}}

| empty =

| gross =

| propmass =

| engines = 2 YF-75H

| thrust = {{cvt|200|kN}}

| SI = {{cvt|442.6|isp}}

| burntime =

| fuel = {{LH2}} / LOX

}}

}}

Long March 8 ({{zh|c=长征八号运载火箭}}) 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).{{Cite web |url= http://www.xinhuanet.com/tech/2020-12/28/c_1126914060.htm |title= 长征八号首飞成功 中国运载火箭家族再添新成员 |author=贾平凡 |date=2020-12-28 |publisher=新华社 |language=zh-hans |accessdate=2022-02-27 }} 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.

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.{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Andrew|title=China to test rocket reusability with planned Long March 8 launcher|date=30 April 2018 |url=https://spacenews.com/china-to-test-rocket-reusability-with-planned-long-march-8-launcher/|publisher=SpaceNews|access-date=6 December 2020}}

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