| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology |
| Country of origin | China |
| Size | |
| Height | ~69 m (226 ft 5 in) (w/ 4.2 m fairing) |
| Diameter | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) |
| Mass | 437,000 kg (963,000 lb) |
| Stages | 2 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload toLEO | |
| Altitude | 200 km (120 mi) |
| Mass | 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) expended, 6,000 kg (13,000 lb) reusable[1] |
| Payload toSSO | |
| Altitude | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Mass | ~3,000 kg (6,600 lb)[1] |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Long March |
| Comparable | |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | JSLC LM-12 Pad |
| Total launches | 1 |
| Success(es) | 1 |
| First flight | 23 December 2025 02:00 UTC |
| First stage | |
| Powered by | 7 × Longyun-70+[1] |
| Maximum thrust | 5,215 kN (1,172,000 lbf) (745 kN each engine)[1] |
| Specific impulse | 290+ sec. |
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
| Second stage | |
| Powered by | 1 × YF-209V |
| Maximum thrust | 940 kN (210,000 lbf) |
| Propellant | LOX / CH4 |
TheLong March 12A (Chinese:长征十二号甲运载火箭;pinyin:Chang Zheng 12A, abbreviatedLM-12A orCZ-12A), is a Chinesereusablemedium-lift launch vehicle carrier rocket. The rocket has two stages and its first stage is designed to be reused after stage-recovery via propulsive landing. Both stages of the rocket will use methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX) for propulsion. The rocket is manufactured byShanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST).
The first flight occurred on 23 December 2025 from theJiuquan Satellite Launch Center with a successful orbital launch but the first-stage recovery was unsuccessful.[2][3]
The project that eventually led to the current CZ-12A was initiated in 2021 under the codename "XLV21"; reusability was part of the original goals of the project although the initial design of the future rocket was more ambitious than the current Long March 12A (the future CZ-12B may meet the original project goals).[1]
The Long March 12A's first stage hull is composed of2219 aluminum alloy, a legacy from the standardLong March 12's first stage hull. However, unlike the CZ-12, the "A" variant employsCH4 andLOX for propulsion, and in a first for the Long March series of rockets, the CZ-12A's first-stage features seven units of theLongyun-70 reusable rocket engine, developed by the private company "Jiuzhou Yunjian"; the engines provide the rocket with a total of about 5,215 kilo-Newtons of thrust at liftoff. The first stage mounts four "T-tail" fins near the bottom to provide for flight stability and also includes four aluminum alloy landing legs each with a length of approximately 5.7 metres.[1]
The rocket inter-stage includes four segmented 3D-printed fins and four single-drag element automatic control systems.[1]
The second stage of the rocket features a single unit of theYF-209V reusable methane/LOX engine. The stage's hull is built using2195 aluminum alloy. The stage also features two automatic flight control units.[1]
There are two possible fairing types for payload enclosure: one type with a diameter of 4.2 metres and a second type with a diameter of 5.2 metres.[1]
At liftoff, the rocker has a mass of about 437 tonnes and a liftoff thrust of approxiately 5,215 Newtons, Its height is about 69-70 metres. When the first-stage is set on a return-landing trajectory, the CZ-12A'sLEO payload capacity is no less than 6 tonnes; its 500 km sun-synchronous orbit payload capacity is no less than 3 tonnes. The rocket's LEO payload capacity is no less than 9 tonnes when the first-stage is used in an expendable mode.[1]
The current configuration of the rocket may be improved in the future. Improvements may include increasing the thrust of each Longyun engine to about 85 tonnes, and adding two additional units of these improved engines to the first-stage (for a total of nine), thereby increasing the total liftoff thrust of the rocket by about 45 percent. It is unclear if such improvments will be implemented on the CZ-12A or on the planned Long March 12B carrier rocket.[1]
On June 23, 2024, SAST conducted its first VTVL test article for CZ-12A at theJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, likely the same test pad used for iSpace's VTVL experiments.[4] The test article featured three engines, the center of which would remain on during the entire flight. It also featured landing legs, which successfully deployed for the landing. The test lasted around 5 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of around 10 km (6.2 mi)[5]
On January 19, 2025, SAST launched a VTVL test-stage to a height of 75 km (47 mi) to simulate the launch and recovery of the first stage of the future CZ-12A.[6] The outcome of the test is unknown.[7]
In August 2025, SAST conducted a static fire test of the upper stage of the CZ-12A at the Haiyang Oriental Spaceport[8]
The first flight of the CZ-12A occurred at 2:00UTC on 23 December 2025, from a dedicated launch site located at theJiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The launch successfully reached orbit with what appears to be a mass simulator. However, the rocket's first-stage landing attempt was a failure.[2][3]
| Flight No. | Serial No. | Date/Time (UTC) | Launch site | Payload | Orbit | Outcome | Booster Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y1 | 23 December 2025 02:00 UTC[9] | JSLC LM-12A Pad | Apparent mass simulator | LEO | Success | Failure |
| First flight of thereusable CZ-12A variant. | |||||||
(Reusable methane-fueled medium lift-off systems)
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