On August the 12th 2023, a Long March 3B/E lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center carrying the L-SAR4-01 (LTDC-4A) satellite into an inclined geosynchronous orbit. This launch is believed to be carrying the world's first synthetic aperture radar satellite up in geosynchronous orbit where it will stay above a fixed point of the Earth.
Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites provide high-resolution, all-weather images that drive advancements in disaster response, agriculture, forestry, and other areas. Their applications span from environmental monitoring to security, enabling informed decisions for sustainable management and advancement.
What is the Long March 3?
The Long March 3 is a series of rockets from China that first flew in January 1984. There are six variants of the Long March 3 with half of them currently retired, all of them use at least three stages and burn fuels on the first two stages with a liquid hydrogen and oxygen third stage. The 3B and 3C variants of the rocket feature strap-on boosters with four on the 3B and two on the 3C, these boosters burn the same fuel as the first and second stages of the rocket. The E variants of the 3B and 3C are enhanced versions of both to increase their payload capacity to geosynchronous orbit and geosynchronous transfer orbit.
The Long March 3 is part of the Long March family of rockets from China. The family is named after the Chinese Red Army's Long March military retreat during the Chinese Civil War in 1934/35. So far all Long March rockets have been expendable. To date, the Long March family has flown four hundred and eighty-three missions.
