Long March 12
The Long March 12, is a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle carrier rocket. Both stages use liquid fuel: refined kerosene and liquid oxygen.
The manufacturer is Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is capable of placing at least of payload in low Earth orbit and at least in a 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. This variant conducted a first flight on 23 December 2025; it successfully reached orbit although the initial first-stage recovery attempt was not successful. A commercially-oriented reusable variant named the CZ-12B is also under development and its first flight is anticipated to occur in 2026.
History and details
CZ-12
On 26 February 2024, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation 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 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
SAST introduced a variant with a reusable first stage: the Long March 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.CZ-12B reusable variant
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd. 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. 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; first launch of the rocket is anticipated to occur in 2026.Launch statistics
List of launches
| Flight Number | Serial number | Date/Time | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Result | Note |
| 1 | Y1 | 30 November 2024 14:25 | Wenchang Commercial, LC-2 | Hulianwang Jishu Shiyan 5A JSW-03 | LEO | 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 | Huliangwang × 9 | LEO | ||
| 3 | Y3 | 10 November 2025 02:41 | Wenchang Commercial, LC-2 | Huliangwang × 9 | LEO | ||
| 4 | Y4 | 11 December 2025 23:00 | Wenchang Commercial, LC-2 | Huliangwang × 9 | LEO | ||
| 5 | Y5 | 19 January 2026 07:48 | Wenchang Commercial, LC-2 | Huliangwang × 9 | LEO |