Rendering of Long March 3A
Function	Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Country of origin	China
Cost per launch	US$70 million[1]
Size
Height	52.52 metres (172.3 ft)[2]
Diameter	3.35 metres (11.0 ft)[2]
Mass	241,000 kilograms (531,000 lb)[2]
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload toLEO
Mass	8,500 kilograms (18,700 lb)[3][4]
Payload toGTO
Mass	2,600 kilograms (5,700 lb)[5][3]
Payload toHCO
Mass	1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb)[3][4]
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Derivative work	Long March 3B Long March 3C
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	LA-2 &LA-3,XSLC
Total launches	27[5]
Success(es)	27[5]
First flight	8 February 1994[5]
Last flight	9 July 2018
First stage
Height	23.272 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	171,800 kg (378,800 lb)
Powered by	4YF-21C
Maximum thrust	2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,556.5 m/s (260.69 s)
Burn time	148 s
Propellant	N2O4 /UDMH
Second stage
Height	11.276 m
Diameter	3.35 m
Propellant mass	32,600 kg (71,900 lb)
Powered by	1YF-24E (1 x YF-22E (Main)) (4 x YF-23C (Vernier))
Maximum thrust	742 kN (167,000 lbf) (Main) 47.1 kN (10,600 lbf) (Vernier)
Specific impulse	2,922.57 m/s (298.019 s) (Main) 2,910.5 m/s (296.79 s) (Vernier)
Burn time	115 s
Propellant	N2O4 /UDMH
Third stage
Height	12.375 m
Diameter	3.0 m
Propellant mass	18,200 kg (40,100 lb)
Powered by	2YF-75[6]
Maximum thrust	167.17 kN (37,580 lbf)
Specific impulse	4,295 m/s (438.0 s)
Burn time	475 s
Propellant	LH2 /LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

TheLong March 3A (Chinese:长征三号甲火箭), also known as theChang Zheng 3A,CZ-3A andLM-3A, is aChinese orbitalcarrier rocket, part of theLong March family^[7] ofexpendable rockets. A three-stage rocket, it was usually used to placecommunications satellites andBeidounavigation satellites intogeosynchronous transfer orbit. It was manufactured by theGreat Wall Industry Corporation.^[8]

The Long March 3A is the first variant of theLong March 3.^[9] The first stage was lengthened from 20.219 metres (66.34 ft) to 23.075 metres (75.71 ft), and the third stage was enlarged and redesigned to accommodate twoYF-75 rocket engines, whereas its predecessor had a singleYF-73; this gave it the capability to lift 2.3 tonnes (2.5 tons) into geosynchronous orbit, compared to the Long March 3's 1.4 tonnes (1.5 tons).^[9] A new computer system was also installed.^[9]

The first and second stages usedhypergolic propellants (unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine andnitrogen tetroxide), while the third usedcryogenic fuel (liquid hydrogen andliquid oxygen).^[7]

Its achievements include powering the first twoBeiDou navigation satellites into orbit (Beidou 1A on 30 October 2000^[10] and Beidou 1B on 20 December^[11]), as well as China's first Moon probe,Chang'e 1, into lunar orbit in 2007.^[12][13]

It formed the basis of theLong March 3B, which by adding four strap-on booster rockets increased the lifting capacity to 4.8 tonnes (5.3 tons).^[9]

Long March 3A rockets were launched from Launch Areas 2 and 3 at theXichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC).^[8]

• List of Long March launches

• LM-3A User's Manual (downloadable)

• Long March (rocket family)
• Vehicles introduced in 1994

• Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Chinese-language text