China Surprises with Launch of New Reusable Long March 12B Rocket

Overview

As previously mentioned, China is aiming to significantly expand its portfolio of space rockets through state-owned, private, and state-private companies. Different designs, performance metrics, and general features have led and will lead to the debut of various launch vehicles over time.

In recent hours, the inaugural launch of the new reusable Long March 12B rocket, also known as Chang Zheng 12B, CZ-12B, or Long March 12B, took place. The ability to launch the stages of a vehicle multiple times, increasing cadence and reducing costs, has been demonstrated by SpaceX with its Falcon 9 rockets. This concept has been "embraced" by various companies worldwide, including Chinese firms. In recent months, the first stage of the Long March 10A vehicle was launched for an initial controlled landing test, followed by the Zhuque-3 rocket and the Long March 12A vehicle.

Close-up lift-off footage of the CZ-12B.

— Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) June 2, 2026

At 10:40 on June 1 (Italian time), a Long March 12B rocket took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for its maiden mission after months of anticipation. The fairings housed an unspecified number of Qianfan G60 high-speed internet connectivity satellites, also known as Spacesail.

🚀 The new Long March 12B just made the successful maiden flight from Jiuquan at 08:40 UTC June 1 carrying SpaceSail group 10 into orbit. D4.37m, 9 YF-102V kerolox engines in first stage and 1 YF-102V in second stage.

— CNSPACE (@CNSpaceflight) June 1, 2026

This reusable rocket, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), stands about 72 meters tall with a diameter of 4.37 meters and uses 5.2-meter fairings. At the base, there are 9 YF-102V engines that operate on RP-1 and liquid oxygen, while the second stage houses a single YF-102V engine. Its performance indicates the capability to carry up to 20 tons of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO). The first stage can be reused with a vertical landing.

During the maiden flight, there was no attempt at recovery, focusing instead on successfully achieving orbit, which was executed correctly. The launch came as a surprise, as no NOTAM notices were issued despite being anticipated for some time. In the early phases of the launch, the takeoff appeared slower than expected, and some indications suggested that one of the engines may not have performed correctly, generating an asymmetric flame and reducing overall thrust.

This issue has not been officially communicated by CASC and remains speculative, as the mission proceeded successfully. Without information on the number of satellites onboard, it is unclear what the actual payload was, providing only partial indications of performance. As with all vehicles of this type, the Long March 12B will need to demonstrate multiple successful launches with a good launch cadence and reduced refurbishment costs after missions. However, China seems intent on competing with the United States after surpassing Europe and Russia in the sector.