Long March 6
 Rendering of the Long March 6 launch vehicle | |
| Function | Small-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | 103,000 kg (227,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to 700 km (430 mi) SSO | |
| Mass | 1,080 kg (2,380 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Comparable | Minotaur-C |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Taiyuan, LA-16 |
| Total launches | 15 |
| Success(es) | 15 |
| First flight | 19 September 2015 |
| Last flight | 25 April 2026 (most recent) |
| First stage | |
| Diameter | 3.35 m (11.0 ft) |
| Propellant mass | 61,000 kg (134,000 lb) to 76,000 kg (168,000 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 YF-100 |
| Maximum thrust | 1,188 kN (267,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 300 seconds (sea level) 335 seconds (vacuum) |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
| Second stage | |
| Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Propellant mass | 15,000 kg (33,000 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 YF-115 |
| Maximum thrust | 180 kN (40,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 341.5 seconds (vacuum) |
| Propellant | RP-1/LOX |
| Third stage | |
| Diameter | 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in) |
| Powered by | 1 |
| Maximum thrust | 6.5 kN (1,500 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 306.9 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UDMH |
The Long March 6 (Chinese: 长征六号运载火箭) or Chang Zheng 6 as in pinyin, abbreviated LM 6 for export or CZ 6 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fuelled launch vehicle of the Long March family, which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). The rocket was developed in the 2000s, and made its maiden flight in 2015. As one of the new generation rocket family, the Long March 6 was designed to be a light capacity, "high-speed response" rocket, complementing the heavy lift Long March 5 and the mid-heavy lift Long March 7 rocket families. It is capable of placing at least 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of payload into a Sun-synchronous orbit. The first stage of the Long March 6 was derived from the booster rockets being developed for the Long March 5 rocket. It is powered by a YF-100 engine, which generates 1,340 kN (300,000 lbf) of thrust from burning kerosene and LOX as rocket fuel and oxidiser. This was the first flight of the new engine design.