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December 22, 2020
China debuted the new Long March-8 – Chang Zheng-8 – launch vehicle out of Wenchang on Tuesday. This vehicle marks China’s move towards a reusable launch vehicle, with the recovery of the first stage and side boosters planned for a latter variant.
Loaded with a cargo of satellites, the first (Y1) Long March-8 (LM-8) was successfully launched at 04:00 UTC from the LC201 Launch Complex at the Wenchang Space Launch Center.
The LM-8 is developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), and its development aims to meet the demand for economical, medium-lift, high-frequency commercial missions.
The new launcher was first referenced in 2017. However, it was redesigned to feature recovery of its first stage and strap-on boosters. It is 50.34 meters high, with a diameter of 3.35 meters. Launch mass is 356,000 kg.