Long March 9: Chinese Super-heavy Lift Launch Vehicle in Development
Long March 9 (Chinese: 长征九号火箭, LM-9 or Changzheng 9, CZ-9) is a Chinese super-heavy lift launch vehicle that is currently under development. It is the ninth iteration of the Long March rocket family, named for the Chinese Red Army's 1934–35 Long March campaign during the Chinese Civil War. The rocket's development program was formally approved by the Chinese government in 2021.
Technical Specifications and Capacity
The expected payload capacities of the Long March 9 place it in the class of the super heavy-lift launch vehicle. Below are the key specifications for the current project:
- Function: Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
- Manufacturer: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
- Height: 114 m (374 ft)
- Diameter: 10.6 m (35 ft)
- Mass: 4,369,000 kg (9,632,000 lb)
- Stages: 3
- Payload to Low Earth orbit: 150,000 kg (330,000 lb)
- Payload to Trans-lunar injection: 54,000 kg (119,000 lb)
- Payload to Trans-martian injection: 44,000 kg (97,000 lb)
Mission Timeline
Current plans call for the Long March 9 to have a maximum payload capacity of 150,000 kg to low Earth orbit (LEO). Its first flight is planned for 2033, in anticipation of an increase in cadence by China's crewed lunar missions during the 2030s. As of 2023, the first crewed lunar landing attempt by China is expected to occur by the year 2030; this initial effort would use the under-development Long March 10 carrier rocket.
Evolution of Design Concepts
2016 Early Design
The CZ-9 was initially designed as a three-staged rocket, with a first-stage core diameter of 10 meters and using a cluster of four engines. Multiple variants of the rocket have been proposed, with CZ-9 being the largest: this 'base variant' has four additional liquid-fuel boosters strapped onto the core stage (each individual booster would be up to 5 meters in diameter). Finally, there is the CZ-9B, having only the bare 10-meter diameter core stage and an LEO payload capacity of 50 tons.
2021 New Design
On 24 June 2021, Long Lehao, chief designer of the Long March series, provided some updates regarding the Long March 9. The original design, called the 11th version (2011), had been supplanted by a new design, called the 21st version, which featured many changes, including an enlarged diameter of 10.6 meters, a length of 108 meters, and a weight of 4,122 tons. The new design was seen as being more suitable for first-stage reuse, and was a response to SpaceX's Starship, while the 2011 design for LM9 was seen as matching the NASA's Space Launch System.
Propulsion and Engineering Changes
According to updated technical details, 16 YF-135 liquid oxygen kerosene engines, each with over 300 tons of thrust, will be used in the first stage. All fuel tanks were changed to a common bulkhead design, and all external boosters had been removed. On 23 April 2022, Long provided some updates regarding the reusable nature of the craft.
