Long March 9 will take 140 tons to low-earth orbit starting 2028

China plans to launch the heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-9 in 2028, said an official of China National Space Administration (CNSA) at the World Conference on Science Literacy 2018 on Tuesday.

Li Guoping, director of the Department of System Engineering of the CNSA, said that the length of the Long March-9 will exceed 90 meters, and the rocket would have a core stage with a diameter of 10 meters.

It would be able to carry a payload of 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, five times that of the Long March-5, said Li.

The first version of the SpaceX BFR has been re-designed to carry 100 tons to low-earth orbit. Later upgrades will enable 150 tons or more to low-earth orbit.

If SpaceX BFR and NASA Space Launch System have delays then the Long March 9 will be the most powerful rocket in 2028.

The rocket’s capacity would also reach 50 tonnes for Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

China is also developing a medium space rocket, the Long March-8, which is expected to make its maiden flight in 2020.

45 thoughts on “Long March 9 will take 140 tons to low-earth orbit starting 2028”

  1. China has not stated definitively if LM9 will be reusable. If it is not, it will be obsolete 10 years before it first flies (i.e. now).

  2. China has not stated definitively if LM9 will be reusable. If it is not it will be obsolete 10 years before it first flies (i.e. now).

  3. so it will be in the same league as the American SLS. it may be obsolete for private parties, but if China wants it for it’s space program, it can use it and build new ones, even if the price / kg is higher than BFR.

  4. so it will be in the same league as the American SLS.it may be obsolete for private parties but if China wants it for it’s space program it can use it and build new ones even if the price / kg is higher than BFR.

  5. Another government pork missile, 20 years in “development”, 40 year old technology, and like SLS it will never fly. In China too the private companies will show the bureaucrats how things can be done cheaper, faster and better.

  6. As I recall, they were working on 1st stage reusability for some of their rockets. Don’t know if that includes LM9.

  7. Another government pork missile 20 years in development””” 40 year old technology and like SLS it will never fly. In China too the private companies will show the bureaucrats how things can be done cheaper”” faster and better.”””

  8. As I recall they were working on 1st stage reusability for some of their rockets. Don’t know if that includes LM9.

  9. For military purposes, China would certainly not want to be reliant on an American launcher, any more than the US would want to be reliant on a Chinese launcher. So it would scarcely be surprising if they went ahead with this even if it made no economic sense. The SLS, by contrast, is simply stupid.

  10. For military purposes China would certainly not want to be reliant on an American launcher any more than the US would want to be reliant on a Chinese launcher. So it would scarcely be surprising if they went ahead with this even if it made no economic sense.The SLS by contrast is simply stupid.

  11. Yes, but as Rogério Penna suggests, that’s not always the figure of merit. They won’t buy heavy-lift launches from the West.

  12. Yes but as Rogério Penna suggests that’s not always the figure of merit. They won’t buy heavy-lift launches from the West.”

  13. Yes, but as Rogério Penna suggests, that’s not always the figure of merit. They won’t buy heavy-lift launches from the West.

  14. Yes but as Rogério Penna suggests that’s not always the figure of merit. They won’t buy heavy-lift launches from the West.”

  15. For military purposes, China would certainly not want to be reliant on an American launcher, any more than the US would want to be reliant on a Chinese launcher. So it would scarcely be surprising if they went ahead with this even if it made no economic sense. The SLS, by contrast, is simply stupid.

  16. For military purposes China would certainly not want to be reliant on an American launcher any more than the US would want to be reliant on a Chinese launcher. So it would scarcely be surprising if they went ahead with this even if it made no economic sense.The SLS by contrast is simply stupid.

  17. Another government pork missile, 20 years in “development”, 40 year old technology, and like SLS it will never fly. In China too the private companies will show the bureaucrats how things can be done cheaper, faster and better.

  18. Another government pork missile 20 years in development””” 40 year old technology and like SLS it will never fly. In China too the private companies will show the bureaucrats how things can be done cheaper”” faster and better.”””

  19. As I recall, they were working on 1st stage reusability for some of their rockets. Don’t know if that includes LM9.

  20. As I recall they were working on 1st stage reusability for some of their rockets. Don’t know if that includes LM9.

  21. For military purposes, China would certainly not want to be reliant on an American launcher, any more than the US would want to be reliant on a Chinese launcher. So it would scarcely be surprising if they went ahead with this even if it made no economic sense.

    The SLS, by contrast, is simply stupid.

  22. so it will be in the same league as the American SLS. it may be obsolete for private parties, but if China wants it for it’s space program, it can use it and build new ones, even if the price / kg is higher than BFR.

  23. so it will be in the same league as the American SLS.it may be obsolete for private parties but if China wants it for it’s space program it can use it and build new ones even if the price / kg is higher than BFR.

  24. Another government pork missile, 20 years in “development”, 40 year old technology, and like SLS it will never fly.

    In China too the private companies will show the bureaucrats how things can be done cheaper, faster and better.

  25. China has not stated definitively if LM9 will be reusable. If it is not, it will be obsolete 10 years before it first flies (i.e. now).

  26. China has not stated definitively if LM9 will be reusable. If it is not it will be obsolete 10 years before it first flies (i.e. now).

  27. so it will be in the same league as the American SLS.

    it may be obsolete for private parties, but if China wants it for it’s space program, it can use it and build new ones, even if the price / kg is higher than BFR.

Comments are closed.