CZ-2D/2 Long March Space Launch Vehicle
10-9-09
CZ-2D/2
The CZ-2D/2 is one of the PRC Chinese preferred RECSAT Bird with a total of seven flown so far. Its first launch was on November 3, 2003 . It was developed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The booster is upgraded design of the CZ-2D booster with a third stage added utilizing highly toxic hypergolic UDMH and nitrogen tetroxide storable propellants in at least the first two stages for the low earth orbit LEO payload orbital insertion. The CZ-2D is essentially a two stage version of the CZ-4 with a LEO payload capacity in excess of three metric tons. Its first stage is identical to that of the CZ-4 and the second stage is essentially the same as that of the CZ-4, except for the recently improved vehicle equipment bay. This CZ-2D/2 appears to have a height of about 40 meters with a known diameter of 3.35 meters. For further information on the CZ-2D see the following: http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/world/china/cz-2d.htm. Complete performance details on the CZ-2D/2 are not fully available but it is believed to exceed the CZ-2D capability.
The third stage may be based on the McDonnell Douglas PAM-D upper stage utilizing a Star series Thiokol heritage solid motor or an equivalent Chinese derived designed to meet their mission requirements. Equally its third stage could be based on the CTS or SM A third stages design technology.
It appears to only be launched from the Jiuquan (JSLC) Satellite Launch Center for its RECSAT remote sensing imaging missions.
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