CASC Long March 12B Demo Flight (SpaceSail Polar Group #10) 1
Long March 12B
Status
Success
Date
1 JUN 2026
08:40
Launch Provider
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch Pad
Long March 12 series Pad
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Mission Overview
First test launch of CASC/CACL’s Long March 12B rocket; carried a batch of 2 operational Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with funding backed by the Shanghai local government. Initial constellation will consist of 1296 satellites by 2027 with long term plans to expand it to 12000 satellites.
Rocket
Long March 12B
Mission Type
Test Flight
Orbit
Polar Orbit
Stages
2
Livestream
Not availableRocket Details
Long March 12B/Changzheng 12B (LM-12B/CZ-12B) is a reusable orbital launch vehicle developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Commercial Launch Vehicle Group (CACL), a subsidiary company of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The rocket is based on the Long March 12, but extensively re-designed for first stage re-usability, and use of gas generator cycle kerosene/liquid oxygen powered rocket engines in both stages. The first stage uses 9 YF-102R engines and the second stage uses 1 YF-102V engine, both from CASC's Academy of Aerospace Liquid Propulsion Technology (AALPT). On launch missions where the first stage is recovered, it will land on a down-range landing pad located in Minqin County, Gansu Province.
Height
72 m
Diameter
4.37 m
Thrust
7,940 kN