Long March 2D

Long March 2D

The Long March 2D (Chinese: 长征二号丁, abbreviated CZ-2D) is a Chinese orbital launch vehicle developed and operated by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). A two-stage, liquid-propellant rocket, it serves as a reliable workhorse for low Earth orbit (LEO) missions, particularly those involving Earth observation, experimental, and small commercial satellites.

Design and Capability

The Long March 2D stands 38.3 metres tall with a core diameter of 3.35 metres, dimensions shared with several other members of the Long March 2 family. Both stages burn a combination of nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) as the oxidizer and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as the fuel — a hypergolic propellant pairing that has been a cornerstone of Chinese launch vehicle design for decades. The vehicle is capable of delivering up to 3,500 kg to low Earth orbit, placing it in the medium-light lift category and making it well suited to smallsat and microsatellite constellation deployments.

Flight History

Our flight record tracks 100 launches of the Long March 2D between 1992 and 2026, of which 99 were successful and one resulted in a failure or partial failure — a reliability rate that ranks among the strongest of any operational rocket in its class. The vehicle conducted its first tracked flight in 1992 and has remained in continuous service across more than three decades, reflecting both the durability of its design and sustained demand from Chinese government and commercial customers.

Launch operations have taken place primarily from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia, with the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center also serving as a key site, particularly for Sun-synchronous orbit missions. This geographic flexibility has contributed to the vehicle's versatility across mission profiles.

Customers and Missions

The top customers in our data are the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the China Aerospace Corporation, and the Ministry of Aerospace Industry, reflecting the Long March 2D's predominantly state-affiliated manifest. In recent years, the vehicle has increasingly supported constellation-building efforts and experimental programs. Recent missions include the deployment of 4 × SatNet test satellites (flown on successive dedicated missions), the SuperView Neo 2-05 & 06 commercial imaging satellites, and several payloads in the Shiyan (experimental) series, including Shiyan 30 and Shiyan 31 missions.

Role and Significance

The Long March 2D occupies an important niche within China's broader launch architecture. While larger vehicles in the Long March family handle heavier geostationary and deep-space payloads, the 2D provides a dependable, frequently flown option for the growing volume of Chinese government and dual-use LEO missions. Its century-mark flight total is a meaningful milestone, underscoring how central this vehicle has become to China's national space program and its expanding commercial launch activity. With missions continuing into 2026, the Long March 2D shows no signs of retirement in the near term.