# Long March 3C

> Chinese orbital carrier rocket

**Wikidata**: [Q54167](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q54167)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_3C)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/long-march-3c

## Summary
The Long March 3C is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. It is part of the Long March 3 rocket family and made its first flight on April 25, 2008.

## Key Facts
- First flight: April 25, 2008
- Manufacturer: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
- Operator: China National Space Administration
- Country of origin: People's Republic of China
- Aliases: CZ-3C, LM-3C, Chang Zheng 3C, Changzheng-3C
- Instance of: rocket model
- Subclass of: Long March 3
- Wikipedia languages: English, French, Galician, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Commons
- Wikimedia sitelinks: 13

## FAQs
### Q: What is the Long March 3C used for?
A: The Long March 3C is an orbital carrier rocket used to launch satellites into space, including navigation satellites for the Beidou system and lunar orbiters like Chang'e 2.

### Q: Who manufactures the Long March 3C?
A: The Long March 3C is manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a state-owned aerospace company in China.

### Q: What is the relationship between Long March 3C and other Long March rockets?
A: The Long March 3C is a member of the Long March 3 family of rockets, which are a series of Chinese orbital carrier rockets developed for various space missions.

## Why It Matters
The Long March 3C represents China's growing capabilities in space launch technology and its ambitions in space exploration. As part of the Long March rocket family, it plays a crucial role in China's space program, enabling the launch of various satellites for navigation, communication, and scientific missions. The rocket's successful deployment of Beidou navigation satellites has contributed to China's development of its own global navigation satellite system, reducing dependence on foreign systems like GPS. Additionally, the Long March 3C has been instrumental in China's lunar exploration program, launching missions such as Chang'e 2 and Chang'e 5-T1. Its reliability and versatility make it a key asset in China's efforts to establish itself as a major spacefaring nation and to support both civilian and military space operations.

## Notable For
- First flight in 2008, marking a significant advancement in Chinese rocket technology
- Used to launch satellites for China's Beidou navigation system, contributing to global navigation capabilities
- Successfully launched lunar orbiters Chang'e 2 and Chang'e 5-T1, supporting China's lunar exploration program
- Part of the Long March 3 family, which has a high success rate in orbital launches
- Manufactured by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a key player in China's aerospace industry

## Body
### Development and Design
The Long March 3C was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology as an enhanced version of the Long March 3A rocket. It features three stages and four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters, providing increased payload capacity compared to its predecessors.

### Launch History
Since its first flight on April 25, 2008, the Long March 3C has been used for numerous launches, primarily from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China. The rocket has demonstrated reliability in launching various types of payloads, including navigation satellites, lunar orbiters, and other scientific spacecraft.

### Applications
The Long March 3C has been crucial in several key space missions:
- Beidou Navigation Satellite System: Launched multiple satellites to build and maintain China's global navigation satellite constellation
- Chang'e Lunar Program: Deployed lunar orbiters Chang'e 2 and Chang'e 5-T1, contributing to China's lunar exploration efforts
- Tianlian Data Relay Satellites: Launched satellites for China's data relay and tracking network

### Technical Specifications
While specific technical details are not provided in the source material, the Long March 3C is known to be a three-stage rocket with four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters. It is capable of placing payloads into various orbits, including geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and lunar transfer orbit (LTO).

### International Context
The development and successful use of the Long March 3C reflect China's growing capabilities in space technology and its ambitions to become a major spacefaring nation. The rocket's ability to launch navigation satellites has been particularly significant, as it contributes to China's efforts to establish an independent global navigation system, reducing reliance on foreign systems like GPS.

## Schema Markup
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  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Long March 3C",
  "description": "Chinese orbital carrier rocket",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_March_3C",
  "sameAs": [
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  "image": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/CZ-3C_rendering.jpg"
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## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau/cz-3.htm)
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. BabelNet