First China Long March-12B Rocket Launch: Spacesail Constellation Satellites

First China Long March-12B Rocket Launch: Spacesail Constellation Satellites

🚀 China's new Long March-12B Y1 rocket (a reusable capable variant) blasted off for the first time from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China at 4:40pm Beijing Time (08:40 UTC) on June 1, 2026, sending the tenth batch of Spacesail (Qianfan Jigui) 08 Internet constellation satellites into a polar orbit. No booster recovery was attempted during this flight.

The mission was the maiden flight of Long March 12B rocket and marked the 647th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. 

D4.37m, 9 YF-102V kerosene and liquid oxygen (kerolox) engines were in the first stage and 1 YF-102V in the second stage.

The Long March 12B (Chang Zheng 12B, abbreviated CZ-12B), is a Chinese reusable medium-lift to heavy-lift launch vehicle. The rocket has two stages and its first stage is designed to be reused after stage-recovery via a propulsive landing. Both stages of the rocket use kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX) for propulsion. The rocket is being developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd. (CACL), operating under the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

Image Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CACL)
Date: June 1, 2026

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