CZ Family Credit - © Mark Wade

Chinese political upheavals - the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, Tsien’s backing of the disgraced Lin Biao - further delayed progress. Nevertheless by 1971 China had completed development of its own IRBM (the DF-2) and tested its first ICBM (the DF-5). The DF-3 IRBM was the basis for the CZ-1 space launch vehicle, while the DF-5 spawned a long series of CZ-2, CZ-3, and CZ-4 launch vehicles. By 1970, the CZ-1 had launched China’s first satellite, making China the fifth spacefaring country in the world. Following an early cancelled manned spaceflight project, China turned to development of more-modest unmanned spacecraft and entered the international commercial launch market in 1985. China developed new cryogenic engines and used a modular approach based on the CZ-2 design to create a family of 12 Long-March rocket configurations capable of placing up to 9,200 kg into orbit. China launched 27 foreign-made satellites in 1985-2000. However then a US embargo over improper technology transfer and collapse of the MEO satellite market led to a sharp reduction in commercial launches. China established three land-locked launch sites to reach various orbits. These were Jiuquan, for launch to mid-inclination orbits, Xichang for launch to geosynchronous orbit, and Taiyuan for polar orbits.

In April 1992 the Chinese leadership decided that an independent manned space program could be afforded. New launch facilities were built at the Jiuquan launch site for the CZ-2F manned launch vehicle. The project culminated in the launch of China's first astronaut in 2003. China's ten-year space objectives established in 2000 included development of a new generation of expendable launch vehicles using non-toxic, high-performance propellants with lower operating costs. Development of reusable launch vehicles remained a distant goal for the post-2015 period.

	Tsien Spaceplane 1949	In 1949 Tsien Hsue-shen, the leading expert in high-speed aerodynamics working in America, applied the knowledge learned from German rocket developments to the...more.
	T-7	China's first sounding rocket and first indigenously-built sounding rocket, launched from 1960-1965. Evidently consisted of a single liquid propellant stage....more.
	DF-1	Chinese version of Soviet R-2....more.
	DF-3 Tsien	Development of the original DF-3 10,000 km missile was undertaken personally by Tsien Hue Shen, the father of Chinese rocketry, but faced insurmountable technical...more.
	T-7A	Boosted version of China's first indigenously-built sounding rocket. Included solid propellant booster. The upper stage and payload were recovered by parachute...more.
	DF-2	First Chinese IRBM. The starting point for the design were R-12 construction drawings and a single exemplar of the missile provided by the Soviet Union prior to...more.
	DF-3	The DF-3 project began in 1964 with the objective of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the Philippines (earlier referred to as the DF-1)....more.
	CZ-1	China began development of the CZ-1 (Changzheng-1 = Long March-1) launch vehicle in the second half of 1965. The project was undertaken with the specific objective...more.
	DF-4	Development of the DF-4 began in 1964 with the objective of fielding a ballistic missile capable of hitting Guam. The technical solution was to add a second stage to the DF-3 IRBM....more.
	HP2	Two-stage solid propellant sounding rocket. Evidently used two of the first stage motors developed for the T-7A in tandem. Replaced the T-7 from 1970 on. Used for...more.
	DF-5	Development of the the DF-5 began in 1964. The goal was an ICBM capable of reaching the United States. Although deployed in very limited numbers as an ICBM, this...more.
	HP6	Lightweight single stage solid propellant sounding rocket. Used for routine measurement of the upper atmosphere....more.
	FB-1	The FB-1, like the CZ-2 launch vehicle begun the following year, was a two-stage booster developed from the DF-4 intercontinental ballistic missile. Payload for...more.
	CZ-2A	The CZ-2 was originally designed for launch of the FSW-1 recoverable military reconnaissance satellite. Development of the launcher was begun in 1970 by the Chinese...more.
	CZ-2C	The CZ-2C was the definitive low earth orbit launch vehicle derived from DF-5 ICBM. It became the basis for an entire family of subsequent Long March vehicles....more.
	CZ-2 Spaceplane Launcher	Tsien’s manned spacecraft design proposed in the late 1970’s was a winged spaceplane, launched by a CZ-2 core booster with two large strap-on boosters. It so strongly...more.
	DF-57	...more.
	761	Lightweight two-stage solid propellant sounding rocket. Designation indicates development was authorised in January 1976. Evidently replaced both the HP2 and HP6...more.
	CZ-3	The Long March 3 was a three-stage launch vehicle designed for delivery of satellites of 1,500 kg mass into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The first and second...more.
	CZ-1M	Proposed launch vehicle derived from CZ-1, with an Italian Mage upper stage. Never flown....more.
	JL-1	2 stage vehicle consisting of 1 x DF-21 + 1 x DF-21 St2...more.
	Chang Cheng 1	The Chang Cheng 1 (Great Wall 1) vertical takeoff / horizontal landing two-stage space shuttle was a compromise design created jointly by Shanghai Astronautics...more.
	CZ-1C	Proposed launch vehicle derived from the CZ-1, with a new upper stage. Never flown....more.
	CZ-4A	The CZ-4 was developed and manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. Its first stage was essentially the same as that of the CZ-3 and the...more.
	DF-21	JL-1 land based version. 2 stage vehicle....more.
	H-2 HTOHL	The H-2 horizontal takeoff / horizontal landing two-stage reusable space shuttle was proposed by Institute 601 of the Air Ministry in 1988. The first stage would...more.
	V-2 VTOHL	The V-2 vertical takeoff / horizontal landing two-stage reusable space shuttle was proposed by Beijing Department 11 of the Air Ministry in 1988. The first stage...more.
	CZ-2E	The CZ-2E added four liquid rocket booster strap-ons to the basic CZ-2 core to achieve a low earth orbit payload capability approaching the Russian Proton, US Titan,...more.
	DF-15	The M-9 is the export version of the DF-15....more.
	CZ-2D	The Long March 2D was a two-stage launch vehicle with storable propellants, suitable for launching a variety of low earth orbit satellites. Developed and manufactured...more.
	Project 921	In 1992 Xiandong Bao of the Shanghai Astronautics Bureau revealed plans for a modular family of modern rockets to support future Chinese manned space activities....more.
	CZ-3A	The Long March 3A was a three-stage launch vehicle. By incorporating the mature technologies of the CZ-3 and adding a more powerful cryogenic third stage and more...more.
	CZ-1D	Proposed launch vehicle derived from the CZ-1, but with a new N2O4/UDMH second stage. Used for a suborbital re-entry vehicle test but never flown on an orbital mission....more.
	CZ-3B	The Long March 3B was the most powerful Long March launch vehicle. It could inject a 5,000 kg payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The CZ-3B was developed...more.
	CZ-2C/SD	On April 28, 1993, the Chinese Great Wall Industrial Corporation and Motorola signed a launch services contract for multiple launch of Iridium communications satellites...more.
	CZ-3C	Launch vehicle combining CZ-3B core with two boosters from CZ-2E. The standard fairing was 9.56 m long, 4.0 m in diameter. On August 23, 2001, the CZ-3C launcher...more.
	DF-31	Version of JL-2. Mobile, solid propellant, land-based, medium range, three-stage ballistic missile. Basis for the KT-1 light orbital launch vehicle....more.
	JL-2	DF-23, DF-31 are land based versions....more.
	CZ-2F	Man-rated version of CZ-2E, designed for launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. Little difference externally. Modifications were related to improved redundancy of systems,...more.
	CZ-4B	The CZ-4B introduced in 1999 was an improved model of the CZ-4B with an enhanced third stage and fairing. It measured 44.1 metres in length with a first stage thrust of 300 tonnes....more.
	Shaheen 1	Pakistani missile, apparently a license-assembled Chinese DF-15. Flown in October 2002, project managed by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission....more.
	CZ-2E(A)	Planned upgrade of CZ-2E with enlarged liquid boosters. Probably intended for launch of Chinese space station modules in the 21st century. Fairing was 5.20 m in diameter and 12.39 m long....more.
	Chinese RLV	By the late 2000 a leading candidate for China’s first reusable launch vehicle was a CALT-designed two-stage fully reusable rocket similar to the Kistler K-1....more.
	CZ-3B(A)	In February 1999 the China Great Wall Company announced it was developing more powerful Long March rockets using larger-size liquid propellant strap-on motors....more.
	KT-1	China's first solid propellant orbital launch vehicle was derived from the first and second stages of the DF-31 ICBM with a new solid third stage. The vehicle was...more.
	CZ-NGLV-200	The Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series small launcher would use the 2.25 m diameter module as the first stage and a single upper stage of the same...more.
	KT-2	Intermediate all-solid propellant Chinese launch vehicle. Model first displayed at Wuzhai in the fall of 2002. Evidently consists of new large diameter first stage...more.
	CZ-NGLV-320	The Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series medium launcher would use the 3.35 m diameter module and a new 3.35 m diameter second stage as the core vehicle....more.
	CZ-NGLV-522/HO	The 522/HO was the 'all up' baseline configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series. It would use the 5.0 m core stage, topped by the 5.0...more.
	DF-41	New Chinese solid propellant, mobile ICBM. The DF-41 is expected to be a longer-range version of the DF-31. It is still in the development stage, with deployment not expected until after 2010....more.
	KT-2A	Heavy all-solid propellant Chinese launch vehicle. Model first displayed at Wuzhai in the fall of 2002. Consists of two parallel first-stage booster motors derived...more.
	CZ-NGLV-504/HO	The 504/HO configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series would use the 5.0 m core stage, topped by the 5.0 m upper stage, together with...more.
	CZ-NGLV-540/HO	The 540/HO configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series would use the 5.0 m core stage, topped by the 5.0 m upper stage, together with...more.
	CZ-NGLV-504	The 504 configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series would use the 5.0 m diameter core stage with four 3.35 m diameter stages as strap-ons....more.
	CZ-NGLV-522	The 522 configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series would use the 5.0 m diameter core stage with 2 x 2.25 m plus 2 x 3.35 m strap-on stages....more.
	CZ-NGLV-540	The 540 configuration for the Long March New Generation Launch Vehicle series would use the 5.0 m diameter core stage with four 2.25 m diameter stages as strap-ons....more.