Chang Zheng 2F "Shenjian"
|
|
Function | Human-rated orbital launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | 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 | 8,400 kg (18,500 lb) |
Associated rockets | |
Family | Long March 2 |
Launch history | |
Status | Active |
Launch sites | SLS, JSLC |
Total launches | 13 |
Successes | 13 |
First flight | 19 November 1999 |
Boosters | |
No. boosters | 4 |
Length | 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) |
Engines | 1 YF-20B per booster |
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 (2.13 min) |
Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
First stage | |
Length | 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) |
Engines | 4 YF-20B |
Thrust | 3,256 kN (732,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 291 s (2.85 km/s) |
Burn time | 166 seconds (2.77 min) |
Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
Second stage | |
Length | 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) |
Engines | 1 YF-24B |
Thrust | 831 kN (187,000 lbf) |
Specific impulse | 289 s (2.83 km/s) |
Burn time | 300 seconds (5.0 min) |
Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
The Long March 2F (Chinese: 长征二号F火箭 Changzheng 2F), also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian, 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 Centre. 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'.
On 15 October 2003, a Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 5, China's first human spaceflight. It has since launched the Shenzhou 6, Shenzhou 7, Shenzhou 9, Shenzhou 10 and Shenzhou 11 missions into orbit.
Externally, the rocket is similar to the Long March 2E from which it was derived. Most of the changes involve the addition of redundant systems to improve safety, although there are some structural modifications that allow the rocket to support the heavier fairing required by the Shenzhou capsule. The rocket is also capable of lifting heavier payloads with the addition of extra boosters to the first stage.
The rocket also has an "advanced fault monitoring and diagnosis system" to help the astronauts escape in time of emergency" (in other words, a launch escape system), and is the first Chinese made rocket to be assembled and rolled out to its launch site vertically.