Long March 3B / launch vehicle
sourcingtypical 4/5 · 14 factsThe Long March 3B, also known as the CZ-3B and LM-3B, is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle introduced in 1996 and launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is the heaviest variant of the Long March 3 rocket family and is mainly used to place communications and navigation satellites into geosynchronous orbit. An enhanced version, the Long March 3B/E, was introduced in 2007 to increase the rocket's geostationary transfer capacity.
key details
faq
Who builds Long March 3B?
Long March 3B is built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). (source, as of 2026-07-08)
How many times has Long March 3B flown?
Long March 3B has flown 117 times. (source, as of 2026-08-20)
When did Long March 3B first fly?
Long March 3B first flew on 1996-02-14. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
Is Long March 3B reusable?
Long March 3B is not reusable. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
facts
timeline
- 20202020-04-09incidentNusantara Dua launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Third stage of the rocket suffered an anomaly resulting in only one of the two engines operating properly, and it broke up along with the payload while reentering the atmosphere. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
- 20172017-06-18Long March 3B/G2 suffers partial failure launching Zhongxing-9A (source, as of 2026-07-12)
- 20092009-08-31incidentPalapa-D partial launch failureoutcome: Launch was a Partial Failurecause: The satellite was deployed into the wrong orbit. (source, as of 2026-07-08)
- 20072007-05-13Long March 3B/G2 debuts carrying NIGCOMSAT 1 (source, as of 2026-07-12)
- 19961996-02-14incidentINTELSAT 708 launch failureoutcome: Launch Failurecause: Guidance platform short-circuited right at liftoff, leading to loss of attitude control. The vehicle hit the ground at T+23 seconds and exploded, killing at least 6 people on the ground. (source, as of 2026-07-08)