Launch Area 4 also known as the South Launch Site or SLS, is the only active Long March launch complex at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It consists of two launch pad

Launch pad

A launch pad is the area and facilities where rockets or spacecraft lift off. A spaceport can contain one or many launch pads. A typical launch pad consists of the service and umbilical structures. The service structure provides an access platform to inspect the launch vehicle prior to launch....

s; SLS-1 and SLS-2. SLS-1 has been the launch site for all missions conducted as part of the Shenzhou program

Shenzhou program

The Shenzhou program is a manned spaceflight initiative by the People's Republic of China. The program put the first Chinese citizen, Yang Liwei, into orbit on 15 October 2003....

me, including the first Chinese

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 manned spaceflight, Shenzhou 5

Shenzhou 5

Shenzhou 5  — was the first human spaceflight mission of the People's Republic of China , launched on October 15, 2003. The Shenzhou spacecraft was launched on a Long March 2F launch vehicle. There had been four previous flights of unmanned Shenzhou missions since 1999...

. Since it was activated in 1999; Long March 2C

Long March 2C

Long March 2C , or Chang Zheng 2C as in Chinese pinyin is a member of the Long March 2 rocket family, an expendable launch system operated by the People's Republic of China. This vehicle was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, and the first launch occurred on November 26,...

, Long March 2D

Long March 2D

The Long March 2D , also known as the Chang Zheng 2D, CZ-2D and LM-2D, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is a 2-stage carrier rocket mainly used for launching LEO and SSO satellites. It is mainly launched from areas 2B and 2S at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center but can be launched from China's...

, Long March 2F

Long March 2F

The Long March 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...

 and Long March 4C

Long March 4C

The Long March 4C, also known as the Chang Zheng 4C, CZ-4C and LM-4C, previously designated Long March 4B-II, is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket. It is launched from the Jiuquan and Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centres, and consists of 3 stages...

 rockets have launched from LA-4.

The first spacecraft to be launched from the site was Shenzhou 1

Shenzhou 1

Shenzhou 1 launched on November 19, 1999, was the first unmanned launch of the Shenzhou spacecraft. The spacecraft used was not equipped with a life support system or an emergency escape system. After orbiting the Earth 14 times, the command for retrofire was sent by the Yuanwang 3 tracking ship...

, atop a Long March 2F, on 19 November 1999. SLS-2 became operational in 2003, and has since been used for most unmanned launches from Jiuquan. As of March 2010, twenty launches have been made from the complex. The most recent launch from the site was from SLS-2 on 5 March 2010, when the Long March 4C made its first flight from the complex, carrying the Yaogan 9 satellite. Long March 4 launches had previously only been conducted from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre.