Long March 2E
 Rendering of Long March 2E | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 49.70 m (163.1 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | 460,000 kg (1,010,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) |
| Payload to GTO | |
| Mass | 3,500 kg (7,700 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Derivative work | Long March 2F |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Xichang, LA-2 |
| Total launches | 7 |
| Success(es) | 4 |
| Failure | 1 |
| Partial failure | 2 |
| First flight | 16 July 1990 |
| Last flight | 28 December 1995 |
| Boosters | |
| No. boosters | 4 |
| Height | 15.33 m (50.3 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Empty mass | 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) |
| Gross mass | 40,754 kg (89,847 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 37,754 kg (83,233 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × YF-20B |
| Maximum thrust | 740.4 kN (166,400 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 260.66 s (2,556.2 m/s) |
| Burn time | 127 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| First stage | |
| Height | 28.47 m (93.4 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Empty mass | 12,550 kg (27,670 lb) |
| Gross mass | 198,825 kg (438,334 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 186,280 kg (410,680 lb) |
| Powered by | 4 × YF-20B |
| Maximum thrust | 2,961.6 kN (665,800 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 260.66 s (2,556.2 m/s) |
| Burn time | 160 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Second stage | |
| Height | 14.22 m (46.7 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Empty mass | 4,955 kg (10,924 lb) |
| Gross mass | 91,414 kg (201,533 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 84,759 kg (186,862 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × YF-24B |
| Maximum thrust | 926.8 kN (208,400 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 298.00 s (2,922.4 m/s) |
| Burn time | 301 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
| Third stage – EPKM (optional) | |
| Height | 2.936 m (9 ft 7.6 in) |
| Diameter | 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Empty mass | 557 kg (1,228 lb) |
| Gross mass | 6,001 kg (13,230 lb) |
| Propellant mass | 5,444 kg (12,002 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × FG-46 |
| Maximum thrust | 190 kN (43,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 293 s (2,870 m/s) |
| Burn time | 87 seconds |
| Propellant | HTPB |
The Long March 2E (LM-2E), also known as the Chang Zheng 2E (CZ-2E), was a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle from the Long March 2 family. The Long March 2E was a three-stage carrier rocket that was designed to launch commercial communications satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Launches took place from launch complex 2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
The Long March 2E made its maiden flight on 16 July 1990. However, the rocket had compatibility flaws with the American-made satellites that caused one launch failure and two partial failures across just seven missions. All of the failures were caused by excessive vibration. The rocket was retired on 28 December 1995 in favor of the Long March 3B. The Long March 2E forms the basis of the Long March 2F, used to launch the crewed Shenzhou spacecraft. The booster rockets developed for the Long March 2E have also been used on the Long March 3B and Long March 3C.
All of the satellites launched by the Long March 2E were made by companies based in the United States, which caused political controversy, over fears that the Chinese could study the satellites and use the information they learned to improve their designs. In response, in 1998, the U.S. Congress classified satellite technology as a munition and gave control over export licenses to the State Department under ITAR. No export licenses to China have been approved since 1998.