China's reusable Long March-12B completes maiden flight, features structural innovation to cut weight and 'dual brains' for flight decision-making
China on Monday successfully launched the Long March-12B Y1 carrier rocket into space from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in Northwest China, sending a group of networking satellites for the Qianfan Constellation, also known as the Spacesail Constellation, into their preset orbits, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Designed for future reusable operations and large-scale low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation deployment, the rocket features a range of new technologies, including "dual brains" that allow its first and second stages to independently process flight data and make real-time decisions, CCTV News reported.
According to the CCTV report, developed by a commercial rocket manufacturing company under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Long March-12B is a new-generation reusable rocket. While no recovery test was conducted during this mission, a first-stage recovery test is scheduled to be carried out at a later date, the CASC said.
Developed in just 21 months, the rocket was conceived from the outset with two major objectives: serving commercial launch demands and enabling reusability, according to chief designer of the rocket Zhao Junqi.
"We can deliver payloads of around 20 tons to low-Earth orbit," Zhao told CCTV News. While the maiden flight will not attempt a booster recovery, the vehicle is already carrying hardware for landing and the aerodynamic configuration for re-entry has been validated.
Featuring a single-core, two-stage configuration, the rocket has a body diameter of 4.37 meters, a fairing diameter of 5.2 meters, and a total length of approximately 72 meters, Xinhua reported. According to the development team, the large-diameter design significantly enhances payload capacity while maintaining structural rigidity and flight stability under high-altitude wind conditions.
"For current commercial launch requirements, including missions comparable to deploying 36 satellites at once, there is no problem fitting them inside the fairing," Zhao told CCTV News. "Larger fairings can also be developed in the future because the larger rocket diameter provides greater flexibility."
Beyond its increased lifting capability, the Long March-12B Y1 incorporates a range of design innovations intended to reduce weight, improve reliability and enhance autonomy.
Electrical systems engineer Zheng Zetian said that lowering launch costs was one of the rocket's primary design goals. The development team adopted lightweight wiring, flexible cables, circuit boards and connectors, reducing the weight of the rocket's power-distribution network by an estimated 30 to 40 percent.
Different sections of the rocket feature different exterior coatings. According to structural designer Liang Xiaobo, the variation reflects the thermal requirements of different propellant tanks. "The liquid oxygen tank operates at very low temperatures, so it uses thermal-insulation materials, while the kerosene tank is coated with heat-insulating materials," Liang explained to CCTV News.
The Long March-12B is among the few Chinese launch vehicles built around a single-core configuration reaching 72 meters in length, creating particularly demanding requirements for structural efficiency. One example is its 16-meter-long payload fairing, which uses fiberglass composite materials and honeycomb sandwich structures to minimize weight while maintaining strength.
As China's most powerful single-core launch vehicle, the rocket is powered by nine 100-ton-thrust-class liquid oxygen-kerosene engines.
Liang also said the development team adopted an integrated aft-section architecture, combining the engine bay, transition structures, onboard equipment and cabling into a unified assembly to further reduce weight and simplify manufacturing, per CCTV News.
The rocket also features what engineers describe as "dual brains" — independent flight-control centers installed on both the first and second stages. "Each stage has its own flight-control center capable of independently running real-time flight algorithms," Zheng said. "The two stages can also communicate and exchange information with each other."
According to CCTV News, the two onboard computing systems can autonomously analyze flight conditions and make operational decisions throughout the mission.
The Long March-12B Y1 also serves as a test platform for several advanced technologies. Zheng said the rocket is the first in China to carry a time-sensitive networking system, which could eventually support real-time transmission of flight data and imagery to mobile devices. Some civil products are accumulating data through this mission for further upgrade.
The rocket installed radar system for automobile to test whether it can meet the requirement of the return mission. "Our vision is that people will eventually be able to step away from directly controlling rockets," Zheng said. "The rocket should be able to think, judge and fly by itself."
Global Times
The Long March-12B Y1 carrier rocket lifts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in Northwest China on June 1, 2026. Photo: VCG
Designed for future reusable operations and large-scale low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation deployment, the rocket features a range of new technologies, including "dual brains" that allow its first and second stages to independently process flight data and make real-time decisions, CCTV News reported.
According to the CCTV report, developed by a commercial rocket manufacturing company under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the Long March-12B is a new-generation reusable rocket. While no recovery test was conducted during this mission, a first-stage recovery test is scheduled to be carried out at a later date, the CASC said.
Developed in just 21 months, the rocket was conceived from the outset with two major objectives: serving commercial launch demands and enabling reusability, according to chief designer of the rocket Zhao Junqi.
"We can deliver payloads of around 20 tons to low-Earth orbit," Zhao told CCTV News. While the maiden flight will not attempt a booster recovery, the vehicle is already carrying hardware for landing and the aerodynamic configuration for re-entry has been validated.
Featuring a single-core, two-stage configuration, the rocket has a body diameter of 4.37 meters, a fairing diameter of 5.2 meters, and a total length of approximately 72 meters, Xinhua reported. According to the development team, the large-diameter design significantly enhances payload capacity while maintaining structural rigidity and flight stability under high-altitude wind conditions.
"For current commercial launch requirements, including missions comparable to deploying 36 satellites at once, there is no problem fitting them inside the fairing," Zhao told CCTV News. "Larger fairings can also be developed in the future because the larger rocket diameter provides greater flexibility."
Beyond its increased lifting capability, the Long March-12B Y1 incorporates a range of design innovations intended to reduce weight, improve reliability and enhance autonomy.
Electrical systems engineer Zheng Zetian said that lowering launch costs was one of the rocket's primary design goals. The development team adopted lightweight wiring, flexible cables, circuit boards and connectors, reducing the weight of the rocket's power-distribution network by an estimated 30 to 40 percent.
Different sections of the rocket feature different exterior coatings. According to structural designer Liang Xiaobo, the variation reflects the thermal requirements of different propellant tanks. "The liquid oxygen tank operates at very low temperatures, so it uses thermal-insulation materials, while the kerosene tank is coated with heat-insulating materials," Liang explained to CCTV News.
The Long March-12B is among the few Chinese launch vehicles built around a single-core configuration reaching 72 meters in length, creating particularly demanding requirements for structural efficiency. One example is its 16-meter-long payload fairing, which uses fiberglass composite materials and honeycomb sandwich structures to minimize weight while maintaining strength.
As China's most powerful single-core launch vehicle, the rocket is powered by nine 100-ton-thrust-class liquid oxygen-kerosene engines.
Liang also said the development team adopted an integrated aft-section architecture, combining the engine bay, transition structures, onboard equipment and cabling into a unified assembly to further reduce weight and simplify manufacturing, per CCTV News.
The rocket also features what engineers describe as "dual brains" — independent flight-control centers installed on both the first and second stages. "Each stage has its own flight-control center capable of independently running real-time flight algorithms," Zheng said. "The two stages can also communicate and exchange information with each other."
According to CCTV News, the two onboard computing systems can autonomously analyze flight conditions and make operational decisions throughout the mission.
The Long March-12B Y1 also serves as a test platform for several advanced technologies. Zheng said the rocket is the first in China to carry a time-sensitive networking system, which could eventually support real-time transmission of flight data and imagery to mobile devices. Some civil products are accumulating data through this mission for further upgrade.
The rocket installed radar system for automobile to test whether it can meet the requirement of the return mission. "Our vision is that people will eventually be able to step away from directly controlling rockets," Zheng said. "The rocket should be able to think, judge and fly by itself."
Global Times
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