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Long March 3B | Chang'e 3 & Yutu
China Aerospace Science and Technology CorporationLaunch Successful

Chang'e 3 & Yutu

Long March 3B

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Historical mission record

This page records Long March 3B | Chang'e 3 & Yutu and its reported outcome: Launch Successful. The date above is a historical record.

Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.

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Mission status
Launch Successful

Status reported by the mission data provider.

LAUNCH SITEXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Mission

Chang'e 3 is an uncrewed lunar exploration mission consisting of a robotic lander and China's first lunar rover Yutu. The main objective of the mission is to achieve China's first soft landing and roving exploration on the Moon, as well as performing lunar-based astronomical observation and studying lunar topography and geology.

Launch vehicle
Long March 3B
Mission type
Robotic Exploration
Destination orbit
Lunar Orbit
Launch pad
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2)
Provider
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Programs
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

The vehicle

Published configuration and flight history.

Long March 3B
Launch vehicle

Long March 3B

The Long March 3B is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. Introduced in 1996, it is launched from Launch Area 2 and 3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan. A three-stage rocket with four strap-on liquid rocket boosters, it is currently the most powerful member of the Long March rocket family and the heaviest of the Long March 3 rocket family, and is mainly used to place communications satellites into geosynchronous orbits.

Height
54.8 m
Diameter
3.35 m
Stages
3
Recorded launches
24
First flight
1996-02-14

Recorded timing

This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.

Instantaneous windowPublished target
SCHEDULED MOMENT

A single scheduled moment. The schedule may change before launch.

Launch site & orbit

Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The mission in perspective

Launch site

DestinationLunar Orbit

Explore the launch pad on Earth using its published coordinates.

Explore Earth’s orbits
NASA Blue Marble map of Earth's continents and oceans
Geographic view · illustrative lightingNo live tracking or simulated ascent. NASA Blue Marble.

Coverage & sources

Links supplied by the mission data provider.
Coverage and times may change.

Further reading

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