The Long March 8 is an orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology to launch up to 5000 kg to a 700 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).

Stats

Height Standard: 50.34 m (165.2 ft)

Height Core only: 48 m (157 ft)

Diameter: 3.35 m (11.0 ft)

Mass Standard: 356,000 kg (785,000 lb)

Mass Core only: 198,000 kg (437,000 lb)

Stages: 2

The rocket is based on the Long March 7 with its first stage and two boosters, along with the existing liquid hydrogen burning third stage of the Long March 3A/3B/3C and 7A as its second stage. The boosters are omitted in the "core only" variant that first flew on its second launch in February 2022.

A planned future launch vehicle variant of the Long March 8 will be partially reusable by featuring a combined booster recovery of the first stage and the boosters as a single unit.

The maiden flight of the Long March 8 was launched on 22 December 2020 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

Credit: Wikipedia

The Wenchang Space Launch Site located in Wenchang, Hainan, China, is a rocket launch site, one of the two spacecraft launch sites of Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

It is a former suborbital test center. It is China's fourth and southernmost space vehicle launch facility (spaceport). It has been specially selected for its low latitude, which is only 19° north of the equator, which will allow for an increase in payload necessary for launching China's future space station. It is capable of launching the Long March 5, currently the most powerful Chinese rocket.