China’s Long March Rocket Series Completes 300 launches

China’s Long March Rocket Series which is the mainstay of China’s space programme since 1970 has successfully completed its 300th  launch by putting a new communication satellite into orbit through Long March-3B Rocket.

China’s Long March-3B Rocket Series

• China’s indigenously built China’s Long March rockets have sent more than 500 spacecraft into space.
• The rocket series built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was responsible for about 96.4 per cent of all the launch missions in China.
• The Long March rockets have also provided provide launch services for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Algeria, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
• The Long March-1 carrier rocket launched the country’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into orbit on April 24, 1970.
• The success rate of the 300 launches of the Long March rockets stood at 96 per cent.
• The Long March rockets completed 37 consecutive successful launches, ranking a global first for the highest number of successful launches in 2018.

A total of 17 types of Long March carrier rockets have been developed and put into use since 1970, ensuring the implementation of a series of key space projects including manned space program, lunar exploration, BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and the Gaofen Earth observation project.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2019