Long March 9

Tianwen-2 will likely use the Long March 3B and Long March 5 launch vehicles instead of a single Long March 9.

The Long March 9 is planned to be used for launching the lunar landing stack and infrastructure for the planned China-Russia International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).

The Long March 9 could launch a planned Mars sample return mission with a 44-ton capacity to trans-Mars injection, though a two-launch profile using smaller rockets could be followed instead.

The gigawatt-level space-based power plan would require more than 100 super heavy-lift Long March 9 launches and around 10,000,000 kg of infrastructure assembled in orbit, according to Long Lehao, a chief designer of China’s Long March rocket series.

Numerous launches of the Long March 9 rocket would be used to construct space-based solar power facilities at 35,786 km above the Earth.

A presented redesign of Long March 9 replaces a 10-meter-diameter core with four five-meter-diameter side boosters using dual-nozzle YF-130 engines by a single 10.6-meter-diameter core powered by a cluster of 16 single-nozzle YF-135 engines.

A two-stage variant of Long March 9 would launch to Low Earth orbit while a three-stage variant would serve higher orbits.

The space-based solar power deployment would require more than 100 Long March 9 launches and around 10,000,000 kg of infrastructure assembled in orbit.

China intends to test-launch the Long March 9 super heavy-lift launcher by the 2030–2035 timeframe to support ILRS infrastructure.

The ILRS third phase will consist of multiple missions across 2030–2035 and aims to coincide with China testing the Long March 9 super heavy-lift launcher.

The Long March 9 is expected to be used for launching a lunar stack and lunar infrastructure missions and for possible projects including space-based solar power.

CALT previously planned a lunar mission architecture involving a Long March 9 launch followed by crew launches on a Long March 5B with a LEO rendezvous and docking before trans-lunar injection.

The Long March 9 is designed to lift 140 metric tons to Low Earth Orbit or 50 metric tons to trans-lunar injection.

China is developing a 220-ton-thrust liquid-hydrogen–liquid-oxygen staged-combustion-cycle engine for the Long March 9 second stage.

The 220-ton-thrust liquid hydrogen–liquid oxygen staged combustion cycle engine is designed to power the second stage of the Long March 9 super heavy-lift launch vehicle.

The first stage of the Long March 9 launcher will use four dual-nozzle 500-ton-thrust engines sometimes referred to as the YF-130.

The Long March 9 is designed to lift 140,000 kg to low Earth orbit or 50,000 kg to translunar injection.

The Long March 9 is being developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.