Long March 4A
Rendering of Long March 4A | |
| Function | Carrier rocket |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | CALT |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | 41.9 metres (137 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.35 metres (11.0 ft) |
| Mass | 249,000 kilograms (549,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | |
| Mass | 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lb) |
| Payload to SSO | |
| Mass | 1,500 kilograms (3,300 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Derivative work | Long March 4B |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | LA-7, TSLC |
| Total launches | 2 |
| Success(es) | 2 |
| First flight | 6 September 1988 |
| Last flight | 3 September 1990 |
The Long March 4A (Chinese: 长征四号甲火箭), also known as the Changzheng 4A, CZ-4A and LM-4A, sometimes misidentified as the Long March 4 due to the lack of any such designated rocket, was a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It was launched from Launch Area 7 at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. It was a three-stage rocket, used for two launches in 1988 and 1990. On its maiden flight, on 6 September 1988, it placed the FY-1A weather satellite into orbit. On its second, and final, flight it launched another weather satellite, FY-1B.
A month after the launch of FY-1B, the third-stage of the CZ-4A launch vehicle exploded in a 895 x 880 km orbit, creating more than 100 pieces of space debris. This incident led to a redesign of the rocket to include a residual propellant venting system. A venting system was not included in the 4A because of the concern that it would damage the satellite.
It was replaced by a derivative, the Long March 4B, which first flew in 1999. The Long March 4B offers a more powerful third stage, and a larger payload fairing.