Engineering:Long March 12B

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Short description: Chinese medium-lift reusable carrier rocket
For Methalox variant, see Engineering:Long March 12A.
Long March 12B
FunctionMedium-lift to heavy-lift launch vehicle
ManufacturerChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd.
Country of originChina
Size
Height~72 m (236 ft 3 in)
Diameter4.37 m (14 ft 4 in)
Mass> 437,000 kg (963,000 lb)
Stages2
Capacity
Payload to LEO~20,000 kg (44,000 lb) expendable, 12,000 kg (26,000 lb) reusable[1]
Payload to SSO~12,000 kg (26,000 lb) expendable[1]
Associated rockets
FamilyLong March
Comparable
  • Long March 7
  • Long March 8
  • Long March 12
  • Angara A5
  • Ariane 6
  • Atlas V
  • Falcon 9
  • GSLV
  • H3
  • LVM3
  • Soyuz-2
  • Zenit 2
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesJSLC LM-12 Pad
Total launches1
Successes1
Failures0
First flight1 June 2026
First stage
Engines9 x YF102R[2]
Thrust7,515 kN (1,689,000 lbf)
Specific impulse275.3 seconds (2.700 km/s)
FuelRP-1 / LOX
Second stage
EnginesYF-102V[2]
Thrust835 kN (188,000 lbf)
FuelRP-1 / LOX

The Long March 12B (Chinese: 长征十二号乙运载火箭; pinyin: Chang Zheng 12B, abbreviated LM-12B or CZ-12B), is a Chinese reusable medium-lift to heavy-lift launch vehicle. The rocket has two stages and its first stage is designed to be reused after stage-recovery via propulsive landing. Both stages of the rocket will use kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) for propulsion. The rocket is being developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd. (CACL), operating under the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The first flight of the rocket successfully occurred on June 1st, 2026.[3]

History

CACL has described the CZ-12B as a 4-meter-diameter class rocket that will use a kerosene and liquid oxygen propellant mix, unlike the CZ-12A which use methane and liquid oxygen. CACL further describes the CZ-12B as having a “20-ton-class low Earth orbit carrying capacity”, this is likely in an expendable mode.[4]

A static fire test of the rocket's first stage occurred on 16 January 2026 at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. First launch of the rocket is expected to occur in 2026.[4]

The first launch of the CZ-12B occurred on 1 June 2026; the mission was a success and placed the 08 Group of the Qianfan Constellation into polar orbits.[3]

Launch statistics

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List of launches

Main article: Engineering:List of Long March launches
Flight
No. 		Serial No. Date/Time
(UTC) 		Launch site Payload Orbit Outcome Booster
Recovery
1 Y1 1 June 2026
08:40 UTC[3] 		JSLC 千帆极轨08组卫星
(Thousand Sails polar group 08) 		Polar Success Not attempted
First flight of the reusable CZ-12B variant although first stage recovery was not attempted on this initial flight.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Re: Inaugural launch - CZ-12B - JSLC - NET(?) March or before late January (Reply #2)". 16 January 2026. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=64209.msg2751456#msg2751456. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 C, Jack (17 January 2026). "Reusable Long March 12B fires up ahead of first flight". china-in-space.com. https://www.china-in-space.com/p/reusable-long-march-12b-fires-up. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 李, 国利; 王, 晨宇 (1 June 2026). "长征十二号乙遥一运载火箭发射成功". XINHUAnet.com. https://www.news.cn/tech/20260601/1ada8c7ef02a405587e678bdfb4e6cd9/c.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jones, Andrew (16 January 2026). "China conducts static fire test of new reusable Long March 12B rocket". spacenews.com. https://spacenews.com/china-conducts-static-fire-test-of-new-reusable-long-march-12b-rocket/. 



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