Long March 12B | Demo Flight

China's Long March 12B Prepares for Debut: A Leap in Heavy-Lift Capabilities

On March 31, 2026, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is set to conduct the inaugural test flight of its Long March 12B rocket from a launch site in Hainan Province. This demo mission marks a pivotal moment for China's space ambitions, introducing a new heavy-lift vehicle designed to bolster the nation's capabilities in satellite deployment, deep-space exploration, and commercial launches. As the first flight in what could become a cornerstone of CASC's fleet, the Long March 12B aims to demonstrate reliability and performance in a rapidly evolving global space race.

At the heart of the mission are objectives centered on validating the rocket's core systems during ascent and payload separation. Unlike operational flights, this demo will likely carry a dummy payload or experimental instruments to test structural integrity, propulsion efficiency, and orbital insertion accuracy. The Long March 12B is engineered for versatility, with payload capabilities that position it as a competitor to heavy-lift rockets like SpaceX's Falcon Heavy or Europe's Ariane 6. It can deliver up to 25 metric tons to low Earth orbit (LEO) in its expendable configuration, or around 12 tons to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). This capacity enables it to handle large communications satellites, space station modules, or even interplanetary probes, making it ideal for China's expanding constellation of Beidou navigation satellites and potential lunar missions.

The rocket's design draws from proven elements of the Long March family while incorporating modern advancements. Standing approximately 70 meters tall with a diameter of 5 meters at its core stage, the Long March 12B features a two-stage architecture augmented by four liquid-fueled boosters. Its first stage is powered by YF-100K kerosene-oxygen engines, delivering a combined thrust of over 1,200 tons at liftoff. The second stage employs cryogenic hydrogen-oxygen engines for enhanced efficiency in vacuum conditions. Technical specifications highlight reusability potential—though this initial flight is expendable—with future iterations possibly including recoverable boosters to reduce costs. Innovations like advanced avionics and composite materials contribute to a lighter, more robust structure, addressing challenges such as vibration damping and thermal protection during re-entry simulations.

While the Long March 12B itself lacks a performance history, it builds on the legacy of the Long March series, which has seen over 500 launches since 1970 with a success rate exceeding