Maiden launch of Jielong-3 | |
| Function | Small orbital launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | CALT |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 31 m (102 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.64 m (8.7 ft) |
| Mass | 145,000 kg (320,000 lb) |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toSSO 500 km | |
| Mass | 1,600 kg (3,500 lb)[1] |
| Associated rockets | |
| Comparable | Jielong 1,Minotaur I Pegasus Start-1 Electron |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Special converted barge,Yellow Sea |
| Total launches | 9 |
| Success(es) | 9 |
| First flight | 9 December 2022 |
| Last flight | 12 February 2026 |
Jielong 3 (Chinese:捷龙三号运载火箭, meaning "agile dragon", also known asSmart Dragon 3,SD-3), is a solid fueled orbital launch vehicle developed byChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology's subsidiaryChina Rocket to launch up to 1500 kg to a 500 km altitudeSun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The rocket is 31 meters tall, 2.65 meters in diameter and weighs 145 metric tons. It is a solid fuel, 4 stage orbital rocket.[2] The fairing diameter is 3.35 m. It uses the same rocket motors as theZhongke-1 (ZK-1, Lijian-1) rocket.
The maiden flight of Jielong 3 on 9 December 2022, 06:35 UTC was successful. It delivered fourteen small satellites into polar orbit. The satellites wereJilin-1 Gaofen-03D-44-50 and Pingtai-01A01, HEAD 2H, Jinzijing Qilu-1 05 and 06, Tianqi 07, Huoju 1 (Torch 1) and CAS 5A. The launch took place from a floating platform offYantai,Shandong.
The carrying capacity of the Jielong 3 launcher initially stood at 1,560 kilograms to 500 kilometres SSO orbits, but this has since increased to 1,600 kilograms by the rocket's fifth launch on 13 January, 2025. Also in January 2025, Gao Lijun from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) stated that further improvements will be made to the rocket in order to enable it eventually to carry up to two metric tons to 500 km SSO orbits.[1]
| Serial number | Flight number | Date (UTC) | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y1 | 9 December 2022 06:35[3] | Special converted barge (Tai Rui) East China Sea (37.3°N, 123.7°E) | Jilin-1 Gaofen-03D-44-50 Jilin-1 Pingtai-01A01 HEAD 2H Jinzijing Qilu-1 05, 06 Tianqi 07 Huoju 1 CAS 5A | SSO | Success[4][5] |
| 2 | Y2 | 5 December 2023 19:24[6] | Special converted barge (Bo Run Jiu Zhou) South China Sea (21.2°N, 112.1°E) | Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 3A | LEO | Success |
| 3 | Y3 | 3 February 2024 03:06[7] | Special converted barge (Bo Run Jiu Zhou) South China Sea (21.2°N, 112.1°E) | Dongfang Huiyan-GF01 DRO-L NEXSAT-1 WeiHai-1-01/02 XingShiDai-18/19/20 Zhixing-2A | SSO | Success |
| 4 | Y4 | 24 September 2024 02:31[8] | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Yellow Sea (36.4°N, 121.1°E) | Tianyi-41 Luojia 4-01 Fudan-1 Tianyan-15 Jitianxing A-01 Xingshidai-15/21/22 | SSO | Success |
| 5 | Y5 | 13 January 2025 03:00[1] | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Offshore waters ofRizhao, Yellow Sea | CentiSpace-1 × 10 | LEO | Success |
| 6 | Y6 | 8 August 2025 16:31[8] | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Offshore waters ofRizhao, Yellow Sea | GeeSat × 11 | LEO | Success |
| 7 | Y7 | 8 September 2025 19:48[8] | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Offshore waters ofRizhao, Yellow Sea | GeeSat × 11 | LEO | Success |
| 8 | Y8 | 24 September 2025 07:56[8] | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Offshore waters ofRizhao, Yellow Sea | GeeSat × 12 | LEO | Success |
| 9 | Y9 | 12 February 2026 06:37 | Special converted barge (Dong Fang Hang Tian Gang) Offshore waters ofHaiyang Port | PRSC-EO2 & 6 satellites | SSO | Success |
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