Long March 4B

CASC / SAST

China's polar orbit workhorse — consistently launching Earth observation and weather satellites since 1999.

Long March 4B is a three-stage expendable rocket used primarily for sun-synchronous and polar orbits. It is the primary launcher for China's HJ (Environment), ZY (Ziyuan/Resource), and meteorological satellites. The rocket is launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province and has become a reliable workhorse for China's Earth observation constellation.

Fun facts

China's primary launcher for Earth observation satellites, with 50+ successful missions.

Taiyuan launch center sits at 1,500 m altitude — one of the world's highest launch sites.

Launched the Gaofen series that provides China's highest-resolution Earth imagery.

Height

45.8 m

Diameter

3.35 m

Mass

249.2 t

Stages

Thrust