The Long March 2F (Chinese: 长征二号F火箭 Chang Zheng 2F), also known as the CZ-2F, LM-2F and Shenjian, is a Chinese manned orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March rocket family. Designed to launch manned Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a man-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle. It is launched from complex SLS at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The Long March 2F made its maiden flight on 19 November 1999, with the Shenzhou 1 spacecraft. After the flight of Shenzhou 3, CPC General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin named the rocket 'Shenjian' meaning 'Divine Arrow'.
On 15 October 2003, a Long March 2F launched Shenzhou 5, China's first manned spaceflight. It has since launched the Shenzhou 6 mission, the Shenzhou 7 mission, and the Shenzhou 9 mission into orbit.
Read more about Long March 2F: Differences From The Long March 2E, Vibration Issues, Launch History, Specifications
Famous quotes containing the words long and/or march:
“When will the veil be lifted that casts so black a night over the universe? God of Israel, lift at last the gloom: For how long will you be hidden?”
—Jean Racine (16391699)
“On a late-winter evening in 1983, while driving through fog along the Maine coast, recollections of old campfires began to drift into the March mist, and I thought of the Abnaki Indians of the Algonquin tribe who dwelt near Bangor a thousand years ago.”
—Norman Mailer (b. 1923)