Engineering:Long March 12

Short description: Chinese medium-lift carrier rocket

Long March 12

Rendering of a Long March 12
Function	Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology
Country of origin	China
Size
Height	62 m (203 ft 5 in)
Diameter	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Mass	433 t (954,602 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO	12,000 kg (26,000 lb)
Payload to LEO	10,000 kg (22,000 lb)
Payload to SSO	6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Long March
Comparable	Long March 7 Long March 8 Angara A5 Ariane 6 Atlas V Falcon 9 GSLV H3 LVM3 Soyuz-2 Zenit 2
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2
Total launches	8
Successes	8
First flight	30 November 2024
Last flight	17 September 2026 (most recent)
First stage
Engines	4 × YF-100K
Thrust	5,000 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Fuel	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage
Engines	2 × YF-115
Thrust	360 kN (81,000 lbf)
Fuel	RP-1 / LOX

The Long March 12 (LM-12, Chinese: 长征十二号运载火箭; pinyin: Chang Zheng 12, CZ-12) is a Chinese kerolox medium-lift launch vehicle manufactured by Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. Capable of placing at least 12 tonnes (26,000 lb) of payload in low Earth orbit (LEO) and at least 6 tonnes (13,000 lb) in a 700 kilometres (430 mi) Sun-synchronous orbit, it first launched in November 2024, from Wenchang Space Launch Site.

The CZ-12 has flown six launches up to June 2026, all to LEO with a Guowang satellite internet constellation payload. Its first stage is powered by four YF-100K engines while its second stage is powered by two YF-115 engines. It is more economical than the medium-lift/heavy-lift Long March 7, which was designed to become human-rated.

There are also two reusable versions of the rocket, Long March 12A and Long March 12B. The CZ-12A variant first flew in December 2025; it successfully reached orbit although the initial first-stage recovery attempt was not successful. The CZ-12B, a commercially-oriented variant, first flew in June 2026; first stage recovery was not attempted.

History and details

CZ-12

On 26 February 2024, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) released its annual "Blue Book" which detailed the company's launch plans for the coming year; one of the projects revealed in the Blue Book is the new Long March 12 medium-lift rocket. Long March 12 (CZ-12) is designed as a two-stage rocket: its first stage is powered by four YF-100K 1250 KN engines using RP-1 and liquid oxygen while its second stage is powered by two YF-115 180 kN engines also using RP-1/LOX. The rocket offers two payload fairing choices, one with a diameter of 5.2 metres and another with a diameter of 4.2 metres.

CZ-12 has a stage diameter of 3.8 metres, a first for China. It is launched from the new commercial launch site located at China's coastal spaceport in Wenchang.

The maiden launch of the new rocket occurred at 14:25 UTC on 30 November 2024 from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Site. There were two payloads on the launch: the “Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite” and the “Technology Test Satellite-3”. Notably, this launch featured the new YF-100K rocket engine in its initial orbital launch attempt; the engine is a critical component of the under-development superheavy-lift Long March 10 lunar rocket. In addition, the maiden launch of the CZ-12 also constitutes the debut launch from the new Hainan commercial launch site.

CZ-12A reusable variant

Main article: Engineering:Long March 12A

SAST introduced a variant with a reusable first stage, the Long March 12A (CZ-12A), on 23 December 2025. The initial attempt to recover the first stage of the new rocket during its December 2025 first flight was not successful although the rocket successfully placed a mass simulator in orbit. The CZ-12A employs rocket engines based on methane for fuel and liquid-oxygen for the fuel's oxidizer; the CZ-12A's methane-based first-stage engines are built by commercial providers. Despite the different fuel, it has the same 3.8 m diameter as the CZ-12.

CZ-12B reusable variant

Main article: Engineering:Long March 12B

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd. (CACL) is also developing a more powerful variant of the CZ-12A carrier rocket, currently known as the Long March 12B. CACL is an R&D and operations oriented commercial joint venture that appears to operate under the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

CZ-12B has a 4.37 m diameter (in contrast to the 3.8 m diameter of both CZ-12 and CZ-12A). A static fire test of the CZ-12B first stage took place on 16 January 2026 at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China. Its first launch occurred on 1 June 2026.

Launch statistics

CZ-12 only, not including CZ-12A or CZ-12B.

List of launches

Main article: Engineering:List of Long March launches

Flight Number	Serial number	Date/Time (UTC)	Launch site	Payload	Orbit	Result	Note
1	Y1	30 November 2024 14:25	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 5A JSW-03	LEO	Success	Maiden flight of Long March 12. - First flight of YF-100K engines. - First launch from WC-LC-2
2	Y2	4 August 2025 10:21	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Hulianwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 07)	LEO	Success
3	Y3	10 November 2025 02:41	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Hulianwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 13)	LEO	Success
4	Y4	11 December 2025 23:00	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Hulianwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 16)	LEO	Success
5	Y5	19 January 2026 07:48	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Hulianwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 19)	LEO	Success
6	Y7	17 June 2026 02:44	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Huliangwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 22)	LEO	Success
7	Y8	16 August 2026 04:10	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Huliangwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 24)	LEO	Success
8	Y9	17 September 2026 00:32	Wenchang Commercial, LC-2	Huliangwang × 9 (SatNet LEO Group 25)	LEO	Success

See also

• China National Space Administration
• List of Long March launches (2025-2029)
• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems