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Long March 12

Function	Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology
Country of origin	People's Republic of China
Size
Height	62 m (203 ft)
Diameter	3.8 m (12 ft)
Mass	433 t (955,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to 200 km low Earth orbit
Mass	12,000 kg (26,000 lb)
Payload to 300 km low Earth orbit
Mass	10,000 kg (22,000 lb)
Payload to 700 km Sun-synchronous orbit
Mass	6,000 kg (13,000 lb)
Associated rockets
Family	Long March (rocket family)
Comparable	Long March 8 Long March 7 Falcon 9 v1.0 Atlas V 401 LVM3
Launch history
Status	Operational
Launch sites	Wenchang Commercial LC-2
Total launches	1
Success(es)	1
First flight	30 November 2024
First stage
Diameter	3.8 m (12 ft)
Powered by	4 YF-100K
Maximum thrust	Sea level: 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lbf)
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
Second stage
Diameter	3.8 m (12 ft)
Powered by	2 YF-115
Maximum thrust	360 kN (81,000 lbf)
Propellant	RP-1 / LOX
[edit on Wikidata]

The Long March 12 (Chinese: 长征十二号运载火箭), or Chang Zheng 12 as in pinyin, abbreviated LM-12 for export or CZ-12 within China, is a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle carrier rocket built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is capable of placing at least 12 tonnes of payload in low Earth orbit and at least 6 tonnes in a 700 km Sun-synchronous orbit. Its first launch took place on November 30, 2024 from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Site on Hainan island.

There is also a planned reusable version of the rocket, the CZ-12A; efforts are currently underway to verify stage-reusability technology via vertical take-off, vertical landing (VTVL) tests.

Overview

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 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

In the future, SAST plans to intrroduce a variant with a reusable first stage: the Long March 12A (CZ-12A). It is anticipated that the CZ-12A will use methane and liquid-oxygen rocket engines from commercial providers. As of early January 2025, SAST plans to launch a VTVL test-stage to a height of 75 kilometres in mid-January 2025; this test will simulate the launch and recovery of the first stage of the future CZ-12A.

List of launches

See also

• China National Space Administration
• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems

References

1. ^ Jones, Andrew (26 February 2024). "China's 2024 space plans include 100 launches and moon sample return mission". spacenews.com. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
2. ^ Jones, Andrew (30 November 2024). "China launches first Long March 12 from new commercial spaceport in boost for country's lunar plans". spacenews.com. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
3. ^ Jones, Andrew (2 January 2025). "China to debut new Long March and commercial rokets in 2025". spacenews.com. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
4. "长征十二号运载火箭计划今年首飞". 新华网. 26 February 2024.
5. Jones, Andrew (29 February 2024). "China to debut new Long March rockets in 2024". space.com. Retrieved 5 March 2024.

v t e Long March (rocket family)
Rockets	Feng Bao 1 Long March 1 1D Long March 2 2A 2C 2D 2E 2F Long March 3 3A 3B 3B/E 3C Long March 4 4A 4B 4C Long March 5 5B Long March 6 6A 6C Long March 7 7A Long March 8 8A Long March 9 Long March 10 Long March 11 11H Long March 12
Launch sites	Jiuquan Taiyuan Wenchang Commercial Xichang
Manufacturers	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology
Designers	Wang Xiji
List of Long March launches

• Long March (rocket family)
• Space launch vehicles of China
• Chinese brands