China has successfully launched its new Long March 8 medium-lift rocket for the first time on Tuesday, marking a key advancement in its space program. Future versions are designed for partial reusability to cut costs and boost launch frequency.
The Long March 8 has now joined China's active fleet of operational launch vehicles. It lifted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern China at 12:37 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Dec. 22, state media reported. The mission deployed five test satellites into sun-synchronous orbits. The launch was postponed for two days due to unfavorable weather.
The Long March 8 is part of a new generation of rockets set to replace the aging Long March 2, 3, and 4 series from the early days of China's space efforts. These modern rockets have been flying since 2015.
It features two stages plus two solid-propellant boosters, with all major components proven on existing Chinese launchers. The boosters draw from Long March 11 stages, while the H-18 second stage mirrors that of the Long March 3A.
The first stage matches the Long March 7 but includes upgrades for future reusability, such as additional thrusters akin to SpaceX's Falcon 9. Its two engines, fueled by a kerosene-liquid oxygen mix, are optimized for reentry maneuvers, with added airbrakes and landing gear.
This debut flight did not include a return attempt, but reusability remains the long-term objective.
At 50.3 meters tall, the Long March 8 can loft 7.6 tons to low Earth orbit, 4.5 tons to sun-synchronous orbit, and 2.5 tons to geostationary transfer orbit.
“The Long March 8 rocket is designed for the international commercial space launch market and is expected to fill a gap in the launch capabilities of low and medium orbit satellites,” said CGTN, China's state media outlet. “A future variant of the Long March 8 will be reusable, significantly reducing costs and launch cycles.” China anticipates launches every ten days with this vehicle.
