长征八号
Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 |
| 2026 | 6 | 8 |
| 2027 | 0 | 12 |
| 2028 | 0 | 16 |
| 2029 | 0 | 20 |
| 2030 | 0 | 24 |
| 2031 | 0 | 24 |
| 2032 | 0 | 24 |
| 2033 | 0 | 24 |
| 2034 | 0 | 24 |
| 2035 | 0 | 24 |
| 2036 | 0 | 24 |
| 2037 | 0 | 24 |
| 2038 | 0 | 24 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Long March 8A | LEO | 9,800 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Space Launch Now Long March 8A vehicle page |
Long March 8 | LEO | 7,600 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Ed Kyle Space Launch Report CZ-5/6/7/8 summary |
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| Qianfan Xingzuo 15 | Long March 8A | Jul 5, 2026 |
| Qianfan Xingzuo 12 | Long March 8 | Jun 5, 2026 |
| Qianfan Xingzuo 09 | Long March 8 | May 17, 2026 |
| Qianfan Xingzuo 07 |
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Long March 8 | Not stated | 6 | Active |
Long March 8 0 | Not stated | 1 | Active |
Long March 8A | Not stated | 9 | Active |
| 2039 | 0 | 24 |
| 2040 | 0 | 24 |
| 2041 | 0 | 24 |
1 launch location represented.
| Year | Location | Launches | Confidence | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 8 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2027 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 12 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2028 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 16 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2029 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 20 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2030 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2031 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2032 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2033 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2034 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2035 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2036 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2037 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2038 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2039 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2040 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
| 2041 | Wenchang Space Launch Site | 24 | 22% | China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume con... |
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
Long March 8 0 | LEO | 7,600 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Ed Kyle Space Launch Report CZ-5/6/7/8 summary copied from sibling Chang Zheng 8 row |
Long March 8A | SSO | 7,000 kg | 700 km | Unknown | CASC Long March 8A rollout report |
Long March 8 | SSO | 4,500 kg | 700 km | Unknown | CNSA Long March 8 page |
Long March 8 0 | SSO | 4,500 kg | 700 km | Unknown | CNSA Long March 8 page copied from sibling Chang Zheng 8 row |
Long March 8A | GTO | 3,500 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Space Launch Now Long March 8A vehicle page |
Long March 8 0 | GTO | 2,500 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Ed Kyle Space Launch Report CZ-5/6/7/8 summary copied from sibling Chang Zheng 8 row |
Long March 8 | GTO | 2,500 kg | Unknown | Unknown | Ed Kyle Space Launch Report CZ-5/6/7/8 summary |
Long March 8 |
| Apr 7, 2026 |
| WHDW 20 | Long March 8A | Mar 12, 2026 |
| WHDW 18 | Long March 8A | Jan 13, 2026 |
| WHDW 17 | Long March 8A | Dec 25, 2025 |
| WHDW 14 | Long March 8A | Dec 6, 2025 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
China launch cadence curve: active Long March/Gravity families scale from current low-confidence static defaults toward an analytically modeled high-volume constellation deploymen...
Queqiao-2 launched on a Long March 8 rocket from the Wenchang spaceport on March 19, 2025.
China launched the Queqiao-2 relay satellite on a Long March 8 rocket from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 8:31 p.m. Eastern on 2024-03-19 (0031 UTC March 20).
A Long March 8 rocket was vertically transferred to a launch pad at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on 2024-03-17.
The Long March 8 rocket will launch Queqiao-2 toward the moon in preparation for the Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return mission in May.
CASC previously planned a recoverable version of the Long March 8 as its first move to develop a reusable rocket, but that plan appears to have been abandoned.
The Chang’e-6 mission is expected to launch in 2024-05-01 following the launch of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite on a Long March 8.
Queqiao-2 is set to launch on a Long March 8 rocket from the Wenchang spaceport in early 2024.
Queqiao-2 is expected to launch from Wenchang on a Long March 8 rocket in the coming months.
Mass production efforts for the Long March 8 are linked to China’s plans to construct a 13,000-satellite low Earth orbit broadband megaconstellation named Guowang.
China has considered using the expendable Long March 8 rocket, optimized for mass production, to help deploy Guowang or other constellations.
Queqiao-2 is set to launch on a Long March 8 rocket from the Wenchang spaceport in early 2024.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation plans to ramp up production of Long March 5B and Long March 8 rockets to support the Guowang project.
Long March 8 currently uses the same pad at Wenchang spaceport as Long March 7 and Long March 7A.
A plan to mass produce CASC’s Long March 8 is linked to China’s plans to launch a 13,000-satellite megaconstellation.
The 26 payloads on the Lijian-1 flight surpassed the previous Chinese national record of 22 satellites launched by Long March 8 in 2022-02-01.
The Long March 8 launched 22 satellites on a single mission in 2022-02-01 as a commercial carpooling test.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation planned to use the Long March 8 as a test bed for reusability but the approach may instead rely on mass production of expendable Long March 8 rockets.
Researchers have considered launching the Long March 8 from sea launch facilities at Haiyang on China’s eastern coast to ease launch congestion.
China plans a modified model of the Long March 8 carrier rocket to improve launch efficiency for a sharp increase in the number of satellites to be launched.
CASC’s 2022 Long March missions included six missions to the Tiangong space station, a 22-satellite Long March 8 mission, and the first launch of the Long March 6A.