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Long March 12
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Long March 12
The Long March 12 (Chinese: 长征十二号运载火箭; pinyin: Chang Zheng 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 tonnes (26,000 lb) of payload in low Earth orbit and at least 6 tonnes (13,000 lb) in a 700 kilometres (430 mi) 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 planned reusable version of the rocket, the CZ-12A; efforts are currently underway to verify stage-reusability technology via vertical take-off, vertical landing (VTVL) tests.
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 YF-100K 1250 KN engines using RP-1 and liquid oxygen while its second stage is powered by two YF-115 180 kN engines also using RP-1/LOX. The rocket offers two payload fairing choices, one with a diameter of 5.2 metres and another with a diameter of 4.2 metres.
CZ-12 has a stage diameter of 3.8 metres, a first for China. It is launched from the new commercial launch site located at China's coastal spaceport in Wenchang.
The maiden launch of the new rocket occurred at 14:25 UTC on 30 November 2024 from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Site. There were two payloads on the launch: the “Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite” and the “Technology Test Satellite-3”. Notably, this launch featured the new YF-100K rocket engine in its initial orbital launch attempt; the engine is a critical component of the under-development superheavy-lift Long March 10 lunar rocket. In addition, the maiden launch of the CZ-12 also constitutes the debut launch from the new Hainan commercial launch site.
In the future, SAST plans to introduce a variant with a reusable first stage: the Long March 12A (CZ-12A). It is anticipated that the CZ-12A will use methane and liquid-oxygen rocket engines from commercial providers.
On June 23, 2024, SAST conducted its first VTVL test article for CZ-12A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, likely the same test pad used for iSpace's VTVL experiments. The test article featured three engines, the center of which would remain on during the entire flight. It also features landing legs, which successfully deployed for the landing. The test lasted around 5 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of around 10 kilometers
On 19 January 2025, SAST launched a VTVL test-stage to a height of 75 kilometres to simulate the launch and recovery of the first stage of the future CZ-12A. The outcome of the test is unknown.
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Long March 12 AI simulator
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Long March 12
The Long March 12 (Chinese: 长征十二号运载火箭; pinyin: Chang Zheng 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 tonnes (26,000 lb) of payload in low Earth orbit and at least 6 tonnes (13,000 lb) in a 700 kilometres (430 mi) 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 planned reusable version of the rocket, the CZ-12A; efforts are currently underway to verify stage-reusability technology via vertical take-off, vertical landing (VTVL) tests.
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 YF-100K 1250 KN engines using RP-1 and liquid oxygen while its second stage is powered by two YF-115 180 kN engines also using RP-1/LOX. The rocket offers two payload fairing choices, one with a diameter of 5.2 metres and another with a diameter of 4.2 metres.
CZ-12 has a stage diameter of 3.8 metres, a first for China. It is launched from the new commercial launch site located at China's coastal spaceport in Wenchang.
The maiden launch of the new rocket occurred at 14:25 UTC on 30 November 2024 from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Site. There were two payloads on the launch: the “Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite” and the “Technology Test Satellite-3”. Notably, this launch featured the new YF-100K rocket engine in its initial orbital launch attempt; the engine is a critical component of the under-development superheavy-lift Long March 10 lunar rocket. In addition, the maiden launch of the CZ-12 also constitutes the debut launch from the new Hainan commercial launch site.
In the future, SAST plans to introduce a variant with a reusable first stage: the Long March 12A (CZ-12A). It is anticipated that the CZ-12A will use methane and liquid-oxygen rocket engines from commercial providers.
On June 23, 2024, SAST conducted its first VTVL test article for CZ-12A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, likely the same test pad used for iSpace's VTVL experiments. The test article featured three engines, the center of which would remain on during the entire flight. It also features landing legs, which successfully deployed for the landing. The test lasted around 5 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of around 10 kilometers
On 19 January 2025, SAST launched a VTVL test-stage to a height of 75 kilometres to simulate the launch and recovery of the first stage of the future CZ-12A. The outcome of the test is unknown.
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