Demo Flight (SpaceSail Polar Group #10)

Overview

Destination: Polar Orbit
Mission: Test Flight

Polar Orbit Long March 12 series Pad Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
LM-12B F1 - Unknown

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.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • June 1, 2026, 1:33 p.m.

Launch success.


Cosmic_Penguin • Jan. 16, 2026, 12:29 p.m.

Added launch.


Long March 12B

Family:
Configuration:

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.

Specifications
  • Stages
    2
  • Length
    72.0 m
  • Diameter
    4.37 m
  • Fairing Diameter
  • Launch Mass
  • Thrust
    7940.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Long March 12B
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
    CZ-12B
  • Full Name
    Long March 12B
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    20000.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    15000.0 kg

Booster Info


LM-12B F1


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No
First Flight: June 1, 2026
Last Flight: June 1, 2026
Flights: 1

Landing Information

The Long March 12B first stage booster was expended.

Core will be expended.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

(CASC)

Chairman & President: Lei Fanpei Founded: 1999 Successes: 599 Failures: 16 Pending: 9

Agency Type:

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.

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Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

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