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Yuanzheng
Chinese upper rocket stage

Yuanzheng is a restartable upper stage developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) for the Long March rocket family.

The Yuanzheng stage enables the Chinese launch vehicles to deploy payloads directly to high-energy orbits such as medium Earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GSO). Since the Long March third stage cannot restart, it cannot circularize a GSO or GEO orbit from a geosyncronous transfer orbit (GTO). With its restart capability, Yuanzheng has enabled the deployment of satellite pairs for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System in MEO and communications satellites in GSO. This eliminates the need for the spacecraft to include a liquid apogee engine or an apogee kick motor.

Yuanzheng has a thrust of 6.5 kN (1,500 lbf) with a specific impulse of 315.5 seconds. It uses the storable hypergolic propellants unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and dinitrogen tetroxide (N2O4), and can perform at least two burns within its rated life of 6.5 hours, sufficient to reach the transfer orbit apogee, and perform the circularization burn from there.

Operational variants are designated YZ-1 for Long March 3B and 3C, YZ-1A for Long March 7, YZ-1S for Long March 2C, YZ-2 for Long March 5, and YZ-3 for Long March 2D.

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Models

History

Yuanzheng was presented in a 2013 paper3 and performed its first mission on 30 May 2015. The debut flight of the Long March 7 in 2016 included an improved version called Yuanzheng-1A that can flexibly deploy multiple payloads into various target orbits.4 Further variants were later deployed for Long March 5 (YZ-2) in 2016, Long March 2C (YZ-1S) and Long March 2D (YZ-3) in 2018.

Flight

No.

Date (UTC)Carrier RocketStage ModelSerial NumberLaunch siteMissionResult
012015-03-3013:52Long March 3CYZ-1Y1XichangBDS I1-SSuccess
022015-07-2512:29Long March 3BYZ-1Y2XichangBDS M1-S / BDS M2-SSuccess
032016-02-0107:29Long March 3CYZ-1Y3XichangBDS M3-SSuccess
042016-06-2512:00Long March 7YZ-1AY1WenchangInaugural MissionSuccess
052016-11-312:43Long March 5YZ-2Y1WenchangInaugural MissionSuccess
062017-11-511:45Long March 3BYZ-1Y4XichangBDS-3 M1BDS-3 M2Success
072018-01-1123:18Long March 3BYZ-1Y5XichangBDS-3 M7BDS-3 M8Success
082018-02-1205:03Long March 3BYZ-1Y6XichangBDS-3 M3BDS-3 M4Success
092018-03-2917:56Long March 3BYZ-1Y7XichangBDS-3 M9BDS-3 M10Success
102018-07-2901:48Long March 3BYZ-1Y8XichangBDS-3 M5BDS-3 M6Success
112018-08-2423:52Long March 3BYZ-1Y9XichangBDS-3 M11BDS-3 M12Success
122018-09-1914:07Long March 3BYZ-1Y10XichangBDS-3 M13BDS-3 M14Success
132018-10-0902:43Long March 2CYZ-1SY1JiuquanYaogan 32A, 32BSuccess
142018-10-1504:23Long March 3BYZ-1Y11XichangBDS-3 M15BDS-3 M16Success
152018-11-1818:00Long March 3BYZ-1Y12XichangBDS-3 M17BDS-3 M18Success
162018-12-2908:00Long March 2DYZ-3Y1JiuquanYunhai-2 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06Hongyan-1Success
172019-09-2221:10Long March 3B/EYZ-1Y13XichangBDS-3 M23BDS-3 M24Success
182019-11-2300:55Long March 3B/EYZ-1Y14XichangBeiDou-3 M21BeiDou-3 M22Success
192019-12-1607:22Long March 3B/EYZ-1Y15XichangBeiDou-3 M19 BeiDou-3 M20Success
202021-08-2411:15Long March 2CYZ-1SY2JiuquanRSW-01RSW-02unknown payloadSuccess
212021-11-0307:43Long March 2CYZ-1SY4JiuquanYaogan 32-02A, 32-02BSuccess
222022-05-2010:30Long March 2CYZ-1SY5JiuquanLEO Test Sat 1/2Digui Tongxin WeixingSuccess
232023-07-0911:00Long March 2CYZ-1SY3JiuquanHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 1AHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 1BSuccess
242023-11-1603:55Long March 2CYZ-1SY9JiuquanHaiyang-3ASuccess
252023-11-2310:00Long March 2DYZ-3Y2XichangHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 2AHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 2BHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 2CSuccess
262023-12-2603:26Long March 3B/EYZ-1Y16XichangBeiDou-3 M25 BeiDou-3 M26Success
272023-12-3000:13Long March 2CYZ-1SY17JiuquanHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 4AHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 4BHulianwang Jishu Shiyan 4CSuccess
282024-03-1312:51Long March 2CYZ-1SY18XichangDRO-ADRO-BFailure
292024-03-2105:27Long March 2DYZ-3Y3JiuquanYunhai-2 Group 02Success
302024-09-1901:14Long March 3B/EYZ-1Y17XichangBeiDou-3 M27 BeiDou-3 M28Success

Versions

Currently, there is known to be five versions:

  • Yuanzheng-1 (AKA YZ-1) (Chinese: 远征一号; pinyin: Yuǎn Zhēng Yī Hào; lit. 'Expedition One'): Initial version used with the Long March 3. It could perform missions of 6.5 hours, make two ignitions, perform one spacecraft deployment operation.56
  • Yuanzheng-1A (AKA YZ-1A) (Chinese: 远征一号甲; pinyin: Yuǎn Zhēng Yī Hào Jiǎ; lit. 'Expedition One A'): Improved version used with the Long March 7. Improved version with mission life extended to 48hs, capability to perform at least 9 ignitions and ability to do 7 different separation events. It also includes improved thermal control system, guidance algorithms and orbit planning for multiple payload deployment missions. It will be used as the base system for future deep space propulsion stages, space tugs and orbital servicing and debris removal spacecraft.78
  • Yuanzheng-1S (AKA YZ-1S) (Chinese: 远征一号商业型; pinyin: Yuǎn Zhēng Yī Hào Shāng Yè Xíng; lit. 'Expedition One Commercial Version'): Improved version used with the Long March 2C.
  • Yuanzheng-2 (AKA YZ-2) (Chinese: 远征二号; pinyin: Yuǎn Zhēng Èr Hào; lit. 'Expedition Two'): New version used with the 5.2 m (17 ft) Long March 5 upper stage.9
  • Yuanzheng-3 (AKA YZ-3) (Chinese: 远征三号; pinyin: Yuǎn Zhēng Sān Hào; lit. 'Expedition Three'): New version used with the Long March 2D.

References

  1. Kun, Ma; Wu, Guo; Song, Guan; Zhibin, Ma; Tongyu, Li (2013). "上面级发展现状及趋势分析" [Development Status and Trend Analysis of Upper Stages]. Missiles and Space Vehicles (in Chinese). 6 (329): 24–28. doi:10.7654/j.issn.1004-7182.20130606 (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  2. Norbert Bgügge. "YZ-1 space tug". B14643.DE. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-25. https://archive.today/20150825122058/http://www.b14643.de/Spacerockets_1/China/CZ-NGLV/Propulsion/spacetug.htm ↩

  3. Kun, Ma; Wu, Guo; Song, Guan; Zhibin, Ma; Tongyu, Li (2013). "上面级发展现状及趋势分析" [Development Status and Trend Analysis of Upper Stages]. Missiles and Space Vehicles (in Chinese). 6 (329): 24–28. doi:10.7654/j.issn.1004-7182.20130606 (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link) /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  4. "长征七号首飞成功 空间实验室任务大幕拉开" [Successful maiden flight of the Long March 7 mission Damulakai]. www.spacechina.com (in Chinese). 2016-06-25. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20160628013425/http://www.spacechina.com/n25/n144/n206/n214/c1339839/content.html ↩

  5. "升级版的中国"太空摆渡车"将带来什么?" [What will enable the upgraded space bus?]. www.chinanews.com (in Chinese). 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2016-06-27. http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2016/06-25/7917513.shtml ↩

  6. "远征一号上面级" [Yuanzheng-1 Upper Stage]. www.chinaspaceflight.com (in Chinese). 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2016-06-30. http://www.chinaspaceflight.com/rocket/upper-stage/YZ-1/yuanzheng1.html ↩

  7. "升级版的中国"太空摆渡车"将带来什么?" [What will enable the upgraded space bus?]. www.chinanews.com (in Chinese). 2016-06-25. Retrieved 2016-06-27. http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2016/06-25/7917513.shtml ↩

  8. "远征一号甲上面级(YZ-1A)" [Yuanzheng-1A Upper Stage (YZ-1)]. www.chinaspaceflight.com (in Chinese). 2016-06-26. Retrieved 2016-06-30. http://www.chinaspaceflight.com/rocket/upper-stage/YZ-1/yuanzheng1.html ↩

  9. "远征二号上面级：今年发射的"长征五号"火箭将启用新研制上面级"远征二号"" [Yuanzheng-2 upper stage: this year's launch of the Long March 5 rocket upper stage will enable the development of new "Yuanzheng-2"]. www.chinaspaceflight.com (in Chinese). 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2016-06-30. http://www.chinaspaceflight.com/rocket/upper-stage/67.html ↩