 |
Loading
|
Changzheng 3C
The Changzheng 3C was the third variant in the Changzheng 3A series, developed in the late 1990s to fill the payload capacity gap between the 3A and 3B model. The launch vehicle was capable of delivering 3,700kg payload into the GTO. The CZ-3 was almost identical to the CZ-3B in design, but fitted with two strap-on boosters instead of four. A minor difference was that the 3C model didn’t have the stabilising fins found at the bottom of the boosters on the CZ-3B.
Development of the CZ-3C began in March 1995, and the rocket was almost ready by early 1992. However, following the CZ-3B incident on 15 February 1996, the CZ-3C development was suspended so that CLAT could focus on the improvement of the CZ-3B. The two satellites originally scheduled to be launched by the CZ-3C were launched on the CZ-3B instead. The 3C variant didn’t make its maiden flight until 12 years later in 2008.
CZ-3C
Specifications
| Stages | 3 |
| Boosters | 2 |
| Overall length | 54.838 m |
| Core stage diameter | 3.35 m |
| Maximum diameter | 8.45 m |
| Take-off mass | 345 t |
| Take-off thrust | 4,442.4 kN |
| Thrust-weight ratio | 1.31 |
| Payload capacity | 3,700kg |
| First flight | 2008 |
| Launch site | Xichang |
| Status | Operational |
Stages
| First-stage | Second-stage | Third-stage | Booster | |
| Length | 23.272 m (CZ-3B) 24.772 m (CZ-3B/E) |
9.943 m | 12.375 m | 15.326m |
| Diameter | 3.35 m | 3.35 m | 3.00 m | 2.25m |
| Gross mass | 183.90 t | 49.6 t | 21.304 t | 40.658t (each) |
| Empty mass | 12.12 t | 3.848 t | 2.742 t | 2.8t (each) |
| Propellant mass | 171.80 t (CZ-3B) 186.6 t (CZ-3B/E) |
45.752 t | 18.193 t | 37.75t |
| Engine | DAFY6-2 | (Main) DaFY21-1 (Swivelling) 4 X YF-23F |
YF-75 | DAFY5-1 |
| Propellant | N2O4/UDMH | N2O4/UDMH | LOX/LH2 | N2O4/UDMH |
| Thrust* | 2,961.6 kN | (Main) 742 kN (Swivelling) 4X 47 kN |
156.9 kN | 740.4kN (each) |
| Isp* | 2,556.2 N.s/kg | (Main) 2,922.4 N.s/kg (Swivelling) 2,834N.s/kg |
4,334.5 N.s/kg | 2,556.2N.s/kg |
| Burn time | 146 s | (Main) 178 s (Swivelling) 184 s |
469 s | 125s |
* Sea-level values for the first-stage and boosters, and vacuum values for the second- abd third-stage
Payload Fairing
| Length | 9.561 m |
| Diameter | 4.00m or 4.20 m |
| Mass | 1,500 kg |
Last updated: 23 February 2012