LONG MARCH 2F
This launched a new era of Chinese space exploration
The Long March family of rockets has been China’s main means to reach the cosmos since its space program stepped up a gear in the 1990s. The first flight of the upgraded Long March 2F was an unmanned test of the Shenzhou spacecraft in 1999, with the first manned flight four years later. The Long March 2F has an enviable 100 per cent launch record, and in the past decade it was used to take up China’s first orbital space station, Tiangong-1, as well as fly crew members there.
Around the central core of the rocket are four strap-on boosters that are discarded en route to orbit, while the core and final stage are dropped higher up. Unlike previous Chinese rockets, the Long March 2F was the first to be rolled out vertically to the launchpad, like some of its European and American counterparts. It will continue to be used for the foreseeable future, with its most recent launch on 4 August 2022.