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...
Hisea-1 is a miniature synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) satellite for Spacety and was one of the four smaller payloads on the Long March 8 flight.
CALT states that the Long March 8 fills China’s capability gap for launches to Sun-synchronous orbit in the 3–4,500 kg range.
The Long March-8 rocket lifted off at 12:37 p.m. Beijing Time on 2020-12-22.
Further vertical take-off and vertical landing tests for Long March 8 were planned for 2021.
Each of the two 2.25-meter-diameter side boosters on Long March 8 uses a single YF-100 engine.
The 2020-12-21 Long March 8 launch was China’s 38th orbital launch of 2020.
The Long March 8 lifted off from the Wenchang launch site at 11:37 p.m. Eastern on 2020-12-21.
The Long March-8 rocket can carry a payload of at least 4,500 kg to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km.
The Long March-8 provides China with launch capability to sun-synchronous orbit in the 3 to 4,500 kg payload class.
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) designed and produced the Long March 8 launcher.
The Long March 7 uses a kerosene–liquid oxygen second stage while the Long March 8 uses a slimmer 3-meter-diameter hydrolox second stage.
The Long March 8 core is 3.35 m in diameter and is powered by a pair of staged-combustion YF-100 kerosene-liquid oxygen engines.
China rolled a Long March 8 rocket to the pad at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on 2020-12-16.
CASC expects to use the Long March 8 to verify vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) technology as part of upgrading its launch capabilities.
The Long March 8 is designed to lift 5,000 kg of payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) and 2,800 kg to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).
The Long March 8 was developed and built by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC).
The Long March 8 has been developed based on China’s new-generation kerosene and cryogenic rockets.
The Long March 8 and the new-generation Long March 5, 6, and 7 launch vehicles are designed to replace China’s hypergolic Long March 2 and 3 families.
The Long March 8 first stage is based on the Long March 7 first stage, which is also powered by YF-100 kerosene–liquid oxygen engines.
The first Long March 8 will be an expendable version and will not be upgraded for vertical landings and reuse until around 2025.