Long March family
Long March 12B
Long March 12B/Changzheng 12B (LM-12B/CZ-12B) is a reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Commercial Launch Vehicle Group (CACL), a subsidiary company of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The rocket is based on the Long March 12, but extensively re-designed for first stage re-usability, and use of gas generator cycle kerosene/liquid oxygen powered rocket engines in both stages. The first stage uses 9 YF-102R engines and the second stage uses 1 YF-102V engine, both from CASC's Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology (AALPT). On launch missions where the first stage is recovered, it will land on a down-range landing pad located in Minqin County, Gansu Province.
Long March 12B is built by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation of China. It first flew on 1 June 2026.
Flight record
Payload
| Low Earth orbit | 20,000kg |
|---|---|
| Sun-synchronous orbit | 15,000kg |
Vehicle
| Stages | 2 |
|---|---|
| Length | 72m |
| Diameter | 4.37m |
| Liftoff thrust | 7,940kN |
| Maiden flight | 2026-06-01 |
| Reusable | Yes |
Pads used
Orbits delivered
Launch history
| Date | Mission | Pad | Orbit | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Long March 12B | Demo Flight (SpaceSail Polar Group #10) | Long March 12 series Pad | Polar Orbit | Success |
Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.
Further reading: Wikipedia
Fewer than three recorded flights, so this page is marked noindex. It is here for completeness, not for search.