The Long March 6or Chang Zheng 6 as in pinyin

Pinyin

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

, abbreviated LM-6 for export or CZ-6 within China, is a Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 liquid-fuelled carrier rocket

Launch vehicle

In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....

, which is being developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground...

 and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology is the premier space launch vehicle manufacturer in China and one of the major launch service providers in the world. CALT is a subordinate of the larger China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation...

, and is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2013.

As one of the new generation rocket family of Long March 5, Long March 6 and Long March 7

Long March 7

The Long March 7 , or Chang Zheng 7 as in pinyin, abbreviated LM-7 for export or CZ-7 within China, is a Chinese liquid-fuelled carrier rocket, which is being developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation....

, it will be a light capacity rocket, compansating the heavy lift and the mid-heavy lift rocket families. It will be capable of placing 500 kilograms (1,102.3 lb) of payload into a sun-synchronous orbit

Sun-synchronous orbit

A Sun-synchronous orbit is a geocentric orbit which combines altitude and inclination in such a way that an object on that orbit ascends or descends over any given point of the Earth's surface at the same local mean solar time. The surface illumination angle will be nearly the same every time...

.

The first stage of the Long March 6 will be derived from the booster rocket

Booster rocket

A booster rocket is either the first stage of a multi-stage launch vehicle, or else a strap-on rocket used to augment the core launch vehicle's takeoff thrust and payload capability. Boosters are generally necessary to launch spacecraft into Earth orbit or beyond...

s being developed for the Long March 5 rocket. It will be powered by a YF-100

YF-100

The YF-100 is currently China's most powerful LOX & kerosene rocket engine. Development began in the 2000s, with testing directed by the China National Space Administration commencing in 2005...

 engine, which will generate 1177 kilonewtons (1,177,000 N) of thrust from burning kerosene

Kerosene

Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...

 and LOX

Lox

Lox is salmon fillet that has been cured. In its most popular form, it is thinly sliced—less than in thickness—and, typically, served on a bagel, often with cream cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and capers...

 as rocket fuel and oxidiser.