CZ-2F Rocket, Chang Zheng2F Chinese Manned Orbital Carrier Rocket

China is one of the newest entrants in the space race, with ambitious plans to establish a space station by 2020 and to be the third country to put man on the Moon by 2025. The manned orbital carrier rocket that China is currently relying upon for its space program is the Long March family. One of these members, the Long March 2F (or CZ-2F), was the first rocket to put a Chinese taikonaut in space. This proud moment for the Chinese nation occurred on 15 October 2003 when a CZ-2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft with Yang Liwei aboard. It blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, and the Chinese president subsequently renamed the rocket Shenjian, which means “Divine Arrow”. The 62m-long CZ-2F is a man-rated two-stage design, and it has so far completed eight out of eight successful launches since 1999. It’s a development of the Long March 2E, with structural modifications to allow carriage of heavier Shenzhou capsules (its maximum payload is 8,400kg), plus it has more redundant systems to enhance safety. This rocket represents Chinese technological prowess and the nation’s space aspirations. Features: - Highly detailed - True to 1/400 - Highly collectible - High quality diecast construction