CASC : Reusable Long March 12A launch vehicle

Date : 23 December 2025
Source : China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (translation)

“At approximately 10 :00 AM (Beijing time) on 23 December 2025, the reusable Long March 12A launch vehicle was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The vehicle’s second stage reached its planned orbit as designed. However, the recovery attempt of the first stage booster was not successful. Despite this outcome, valuable engineering data under real flight conditions was obtained, which will contribute to future improvements in reusable launch technologies. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will conduct further analysis and troubleshooting to ascertain the cause of the anomaly and guide subsequent missions.” Additional contextual information
The Long March 12A launch vehicle is a two-stage medium-lift rocket featuring partial first-stage recovery, designed to test reusable launch technologies.
During its inaugural flight on 23 December 2025, the main booster was not successfully recovered, but the second stage achieved successful orbital insertion.
These results are part of China’s broader efforts to develop reusable rocket technologies comparable to those pioneered by SpaceX.