CZ-4B

China (PR)

History:

The feasibility study of the CZ-4 Chang Zheng-4 (Long March-4) began in 1982 based on the FB-1 Feng Bao-1 launch vehicle. Engineering development was initiated in the following year. Initially, the Long March-4 served as a back-up launch vehicle for Long March-3 to launch China’s communications satellites.
After the successful launch of China’s first DFH-2 communications satellites by Long March-3, the main mission of the Long March-4 was shifted to launch sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellites. On other hand, the Long March-4B launch vehicle was first introduced in May 1999 and also developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST), based on the Long March-4.
The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,971 kN at launch. With a mass of 248,470 kg, the CZ-4B is 45.58 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters.
SAST began to develop the Long March-4B in February 1989. Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in 1997, but the first launch didn’t take place until late 1999. The modifications introduced on the Long March-4B included a larger satellite fairing and the replacement of the original mechanical-electrical control on the Long March-4 with an electronic control.
Other modifications were an improved telemetry, tracking, control, and self-destruction systems with smaller size and lighter weight; a revised nuzzle design in the second stage for better high-altitude performance; a propellant management system for the second stage to reduce the spare propellant amount, thus increasing the vehicle’s payload capability and a propellant jettison system on the third-stage.
The first stage has a 24.65 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,340 kg of N2O4/UDMH (gross mass of first stage is 193,330 kg). The vehicle is equipped with a YF-21B engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,971 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 Ns/kg. The second stage has a 10.40 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter and 38,326 kg, consuming 35,374 kg of N2O4/UDMH.
The vehicle is equipped with a YF-22B main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and four YF-23B vernier engines with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922 Ns/kg and 2,834 Ns/kg, respectively).
The third stage has a 4.93 meter length with a 2.9 meter diameter, consuming 12,814 kg of N2O4/UDMH. Having a gross mass of 14,560 kg, it is equipped with a YF-40 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 100.8 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 2,971 Ns/kg.

Technical Data:

Design Features	-
Core Stages	3
Strap-on Boosters	0
Length	45.576 m
Diameter	N/A
Take-off mass	248.47 t
Take-off Thrust	2971 kN
Thrust-weight ratio	1.20
Payload Capacity to 700 km	2,295 t (SSO)
Payload Capacity to 900 km	1,473 t (SSO)
First flight	?
Launch centre	Wenchang?

Stage	1^st Stage	2^nd Stage	3^nd Stage
Length (m)	24.65 m	10.4 m	4.93 m
Diameter (m)	3.35 m	3.35 m	2.90m
Mass (Gross) (kg)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mass (Propellants)	76 t	15 t	N/A
Engine	1x YF-100	1x YF-115	4x YF-85
Thrust (kN)	1340 kN (sea-level)	176.5 kN (sea-level)	4 kN (vacuum)
Isp	300 s (sea-level)	N/A	285 s
Burn time	155 s	N/A	N/A
Propellants	LOX / Kerosene	LOX / Kerosene	H202 / Kerosene

Stage	Payload fairing
Length (m)	N/A
Diameter (m)	2.25 m or 2.60 m

Launch List:

Total Nr	Type Nr	Launch Vehicle	Serial Nr	Launch Date	L.Time	L. Site	ID Year	Payload	Comment
67	1	CZ-4B	Y2	10/05/1999	01:33	Taiyuan, LC1	1999-025	DFH 46 & 47
69	2	CZ-4B	Y1	14/10/1999	03:15	Taiyuan, LC1	1999-057	CBERS 1 (ZY 1)
73	3	CZ-4B	Y3	1/09/2000	03:25	Taiyuan, LC1	2000-050	Zi Yuan 2
78	4	CZ-4B	Y5	15/05/2002	01:50	Taiyuan, LC1	2002-024	Hai Yang 1
80	5	CZ-4B	Y6	27/10/2002	03:17	Taiyuan, LC1	2002-049	Zi Yuan-2 2
85	6	CZ-4B	Y4	21/10/2003	03:16	Taiyuan, LC1	2003-049	Zi Yuan-1 2
92	7	CZ-4B	Y7	8/09/2004	23:14	Taiyuan, LC1	2004-035	Shijian 6A & 6B
95	8	CZ-4B	Y8	6/11/2004	03:10	Taiyuan, LC1	2004-044	ZY-2C
105	9	CZ-4B	Y16	23/10/2006	23:34	Taiyuan, LC7	2006-046	Shijian 6-2A
115	10	CZ-4B	Y17	19/09/2007	03:26	Taiyuan, LC7	2007-042	CBERS 2B (ZY 1B2)
123	11	CZ-4B	Y22	25/10/2008	01:15	Taiyuan, LC9	2008-053	Shijian 6E, 6F
127	12	CZ-4B	Y20	15/12/2008	03:22	Taiyuan, LC-9	2008-064	Yaogan 5 (JB-7 1)
145	13	CZ-4B	Y23	6/10/2010	00:49	Taiyuan, LC-2	2010-051	SJ 6G + 6H
157	14	CZ-4B	Y14	15/08/2011	22:57:19	Taiyuan, LC2	2011-043	Haiyang 2
163	15	CZ-4B	Y21	9/11/2011	03:21:05	Taiyuan, LC-9	2011-066	Tianxun 1
168	16	CZ-4B	Y15	22/12/2011	03:26	Taiyuan, LC-9	2011-079	ZY 1C
169	17	CZ-4B	Y26	9/01/2012	03:17:10	Taiyuan, LC-9	2012-001	ZY 3A, VesselSat 2
175	18	CZ-4B	Y12	10/05/2012	07:06:04	Taiyuan, LC-9	2012-021	Yaogan 14
196	19	CZ-4B	Y25	25/10/2013	03:50:03	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2013-057	Shi Jian 16 (SJ 16)
201	20	CZ-4B	Y10	9/12/2013	03:26	Taiyuan, LC-9	2013-F04	CBERS-3	Failure
205	21	CZ-4B	Y27	19/08/2014	03:15:05	Taiyuan, LC-9	2014-049	GAOFEN 2
207	22	CZ-4B	Y28	8/09/2014	03:22:05	Taiyuan, LC-9	2014-053	Yaogan 21
215	23	CZ-4B	Y32	7/12/2014	03:26:04	Taiyuan, LC-9	2014-079	CBERS 4
217	24	CZ-4B	Y29	27/12/2014	03:22:04	Taiyuan, LC-9	2014-088	Yaogan 26
2	25	CZ-4B	Y30	26/06/2015	06:22:04	Taiyuan, LC-9	2015-030	Gaofen 8
232	26	CZ-4B	Y24	8/11/2015	07:06	Taiyuan, LC-9	2015-064	Yaogan 28
243	27	CZ-4B	Y33	30/05/2016	03:17	Taiyuan, LC-9	2016-033	ZY-3 02
246	28	CZ-4B	Y35	29/06/2016	03:21	Jiuqyan, SLS-2	2016-043	SJ 16-02
265	29	CZ-4B	Y31	15/06/2017	03:00	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2017-034	HXMT (Huiyan)
299	30	CZ-4B	Y37	31/07/2018	03:00	Taiyuan, LC-9	2018-063	Gao Fen 11
306	31	CZ-4B	Y34	24/10/2018	22:57	Taiyuan, LC-9	2018-081	Hai Yang 202 (HY 2B)
321	32	CZ-4B	Y36	29/04/2019	22:52	Taiyuan, LC-9	2019-024	Tianhui 2-01A/01B
329	33	CZ-4B	Y39	12/09/2019	03:26	Taiyuan, LC-9	2019-059	ZY-1 02D
335	34	CZ-4B	Y38	3/11/2019	03:22	Taiyuan, LC-9	2019-072	Gaofen 7 (GF 7)
345	35	CZ-4B	Y44	20/12/2019	03:22	Taiyuan, LC-9	2019-093	CBERS 4A (ZY-1 04A)
	36	CZ-4B	Y43	3/07/2020	03:10	Taiyuan, LC-9	2020-042	GaoFen Duomo
	37	CZ-4B	Y45	25/07/2020	03:13	Taiyuan, LC-9	2020-051	ZY-3 03
	38	CZ-4B	Y46	7/09/2020	05:57	Taiyuan, LC-9	2020-064	Gaofen 11-02?(GF 11-02)
	39	CZ-4B	Y41	21/09/2020	05:40	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2020-066	Haiyang 2-03 (HY 2C)
	40	CZ-4B	Y42	27/09/2020	03:23	Taiyuan, LC-9	2020-067	HJ 2A/B
	41	CZ-4B	Y49	8/04/2021	23:01	Taiyuan, LC-9	2021-028	SY 6-03 (TS 6-03, CX 3A-03)
	42	CZ-4B	Y48	19/05/2021	04:03	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2021-043	HY 2D
	43	CZ-4B	Y50	18/08/2021	22:32	Taiyuan, LC-9	2021-074	Tianhui 2-02A/B
	44	CZ-4B	Y52	20/11/2021	01:51	Taiyuan, LC-9	2021-107	Gaofen 11-03 (GF 11-03)
	45	CZ-4B	Y47	10/12/2021	00:11	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2021-122	Shijian-6 05A/B
	46	CZ-4B	Y40	4/08/2022	03:08	Taiyuan, LC-9	2022-090	TECIS (Guomang)
	47	CZ-4B	Y55	27/12/2022	07:37	Taiyuan, LC-9	2022-176	Gaofen 11-04 (GF 11-04)
	48	CZ-4B	Y51	16/04/2023	01:36:29	Jiuquan, SLS-2	2023-055	Fengyun 3G (FY 3G)
	49	CZ-4B	Y58	19/07/2024	03:03	TY, LA-9	2024-130	Gaofen 11-05 (GF 11-05)
	50	CZ-4B	Y72	16/08/2024	07:35	Xi, LC-3	2024-148	Yaogan 43-01-01/09
	51	CZ-4B	Y73	3/09/2024	01:22	Xi, LC-3	2024-156	Yaogan 43-02-01/06
	52	CZ-4B	Y53	13/11/2024	22:42	TY, LC-9	2024-208	Haiyang 4A (HY 4A)
	53	CZ-4B	Y62	29/05/2025	04:00	Jq, SLS-2	2025-115	Shi Jian 26
	54	CZ-4B	Y	9/12/2025	03:41	Jq, SLS-2	2025-289	Yaogan-47 (YG 47)
	55	CZ-4B	Y61	16/12/2025	03:17	TY, LA-9	2025-300	Ziyuan-3 04
	56	CZ-4B	Y-69	30/12/2025	04:12	Jq SLS-2	2025-314	Tianhui 7 (TH 7)

Note: - All launches from Taiyuan (TSLC)
- All "Launch Date" and "L. Time" are in UTC time.

External links:

Wikipedia: Satellite Information

Ref.: #233, #nasaspaceflight.com - update: 23.06.25

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