NEWS
Long March 5B launch vehicle successfully launched satellite internet low Earth orbit satellite
发布时间：
2025-05-07 08:48
At 4:10 AM on April 29, 2025, the Long March 5B launch vehicle lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, successfully deploying the satellite internet low Earth orbit satellites group 03 into their preset orbit with a Yuanzheng-2 upper stage atop the rocket, signaling a complete success of the launch mission.
As the most powerful launch vehicle in China’s active Long March series, the Long March 5B features a core stage with a diameter of 5 meters, four 3.35-meter strap-on boosters, a total takeoff thrust exceeding 1,000 tons, and a payload capacity of 25 tons to low Earth orbit. Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology was responsible for the development of the four 3.35-meter boosters, which provide over 90% of the rocket’s takeoff thrust and serve as the main power source for the Long March 5B’s lift-off.
A “Zero Window” launch strategy was adopted in this mission. The launch team of Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology for the Long March 5B carefully optimized the pre-launch procedures and replaced the booster air tube connectors with quick-disconnect plug-in connectors that can be detached at zero seconds, ensuring that the launch vehicle lifted off on time. In addition, the rocket boosters adopted an integrated bottom-mounted cryogenic oxygen carrier for the first time. Compared to the previous manufacturing approach of “segmented molding + component welding”, the new carrier was upgraded to a fully integrated bottom structure. As a result, each booster now has 14 fewer weld seams, totaling a reduction of 24 meters in weld length. This not only improves the overall reliability of the product but also lays a solid technical foundation for the intensive development and the launch of the Long March 5B launch vehicle.
The mission marks the 14th flight of the Long March 5 series of launch vehicles and the 573rd flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles in China.
