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# China completes its 500th Long March rocket launch!
- URL: https://proximareport.com/china-500th-long-march-rocket/
- Published: 2023-12-12T16:59:39.000Z
- Updated: 2023-12-12T16:59:39.000Z
- Author: Jack C.
- Tags: China, Aerospace

On the 10th of December, a Long March 2D lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southern China. The payload for the launch was a Yaogan reconnaissance satellite heading to low Earth orbit.

While a regular launch at first glance, this was the 500th launch of a Long March rocket in its fifty-three-year flight history. So far the entire Long March series of rockets have a claimed reliability of roughly ninety-seven percent. 

This was also the fifty-ninth rocket launch from China this year!

## Milestones leading up to 500 launches

*Disclaimer: This section of the article may be incorrect in places due to a lack of reliable sources.*

The first launch of a Long March rocket took place on April 24th, 1970\. The Dong Fang Hong 1, China's first satellite, was launched atop of a Long March 1 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to low Earth orbit.

![Long March 1 rocket diagram. ©Heriberto Arribas Abato/Wikimedia Commons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2023/12/image.psd-4-.png)

Long March 1 rocket diagram. ©[Heriberto Arribas Abato/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lanzador%5Forbital%5Fchino%5FCZ-1B.svg?ref=proximareport.com)

The one-hundredth Long March rocket launch took place on the 31st of May 2007\. The launch utilized a Long March 3A to launch SinoSat 3 to a geosynchronous transfer orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

![Long March 3A render. ©Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2023/12/image.psd-5--1.png)

Long March 3A render. ©[Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CZ-3A%5Frendering.jpg?ref=proximareport.com)

The two-hundredth launch of a Long March rocket occurred on the 7th of December 2014\. The launch took place from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 4B to send the CBERS-4 satellite to a sun-synchronous orbit.

![Long March 4B render. ©Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2023/12/image.psd-6-.png)

Long March 4B render. ©[Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CZ-4B%5Frendering.jpg?ref=proximareport.com)

The three-hundredth Long March rocket launch happened on the 9th of March 2019\. The launch delivered Chinasat-6C to a geosynchronous transfer orbit using the Long March 3B/E from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2023/12/image.psd-7-.png)

Long March 3B/E render. ©[Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CZ-3B%5Frendering.jpg?ref=proximareport.com)

The four-hundredth launch of a Long March rocket took place on the 10th of December 2021\. The launch used a Long March 4B to carry Shijian 6-05A and Shijian 6-05B to a sun-synchronous orbit from the Jiuquan satellite launch center.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/15/c115fdad-529f-4ea1-9d82-260375a868a5/content/images/2023/12/image.psd-6--1.png)

Long March 4B render. ©[Shujianyang/Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CZ-4B%5Frendering.jpg?ref=proximareport.com)

## Who operates the Long March series of rockets?

The Long March series of rockets are operated by two subsidiaries of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which is a state-owned company and commonly shortened to CASC. 

The first of which is the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, commonly shortened to CALT, which has carried out two-hundred and ninety-seven of the launches. 

The second subsidiary is the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, commonly shortened to SAST, which has carried out two-hundred and three of the launches.