Long March 2F
The Long March 2F (Chinese: 长征二号F火箭 Changzheng 2F), also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian (神箭, "Divine Arrow"), is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Designed to launch crewed Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a human-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle. It is launched from complex SLS at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Long March 2F made its maiden flight on 19 November 1999, with the Shenzhou 1 spacecraft. After the flight of Shenzhou 3, CPC General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin named the rocket "Shenjian", meaning "Divine Arrow".
The Long March 2F rocket with Shenzhou 13 spacecraft mounted on the top | |
| Function | Crew-rated orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 62 m (203 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | 464,000 kg (1,023,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 8,400 kg (18,500 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March 2 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center |
| Total launches | 22 |
| Success(es) | 22 |
| First flight | 19 November 1999 |
| Last flight | 14 December 2023 |
| Type of passengers/cargo | Shenzhou Tiangong-1 Tiangong-2 Reusable experimental spacecraft |
| Boosters | |
| No. boosters | 4 |
| Height | 15.3 m (50 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) |
| Empty mass | 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) |
| Gross mass | 41,000 kg (90,000 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 YF-20B per booster |
| Maximum thrust | 814 kN (183,000 lbf) |
| Total thrust | 3,256 kN (732,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 291 s (2.85 km/s) |
| Burn time | 128 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| First stage | |
| Height | 23.7 m (78 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
| Empty mass | 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) |
| Gross mass | 196,500 kg (433,200 lb) |
| Powered by | 4 YF-20B |
| Maximum thrust | 3,256 kN (732,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 291 s (2.85 km/s) |
| Burn time | 166 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Second stage | |
| Height | 13.5 m (44 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.4 m (11 ft) |
| Empty mass | 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) |
| Gross mass | 91,500 kg (201,700 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 YF-24B |
| Maximum thrust | 831 kN (187,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 289 s (2.83 km/s) |
| Burn time | 300 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
On 29 December 2002, a Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 4 for a final uncrewed test of the Shenzhou spacecraft for the upcoming flight of the first crewed mission. Until then, all missions were uncrewed.
On 15 October 2003, a Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 5, China's maiden crewed mission and achieved its first human spaceflight. Since then, the rocket has launched seventeen more missions into orbit with the latest being the third test flight of a reusable experimental spacecraft.