The Long March 12 (, abbreviated LM-12 for export or CZ-12 within China), is a Chinese medium-lift launch vehicle carrier rocket. Both stages use liquid fuel: refined kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The manufacturer is Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It is capable of placing at least 12 t of payload in low Earth orbit and at least 6 t 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 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 (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