At 10:00 AM on December 23, the Long March 12A Yao-1 carrier rocket was successfully launched from the Dongfeng Commercial Aerospace Innovation Test Zone, with a simultaneous attempt at vertical recovery of its first stage.

The mission achieved its secondary orbital insertion objective, with the rocket's second stage entering the predetermined orbit. However, the first stage recovery was unsuccessful, and the specific cause is under analysis. As China's second liquid oxygen-methane rocket to attempt recovery on its maiden flight, this mission provides valuable data and practical experience for future technological iterations.

Developed as part of China's new generation of medium-sized liquid rockets, the Long March 12A is designed under the unified technical framework of the Long March 12 series, emphasizing first-stage recovery capabilities to meet the high-frequency launch demands of low-Earth orbit satellite constellations. Its debut not only marks the introduction of this new configuration but also signifies a critical step in China's aerospace system toward the engineering application of orbital-class reusable rockets.

Zhao Jincai, a former launch vehicle systems expert at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) Eighth Academy, noted that this mission represents a deep integration of national team systems and commercial aerospace engine technology. The overall design was handled by the CASC Eighth Academy, while the engine system was developed by a commercial aerospace company—a significant innovation in China's launch vehicle development history, combining national coordination with market mechanisms.

In the field of reusable rocket technology, commercial aerospace companies are also accelerating engineering verification. On December 3, the Zhuque-3, developed by a commercial aerospace firm, completed China's first systematic flight test of a large liquid rocket's "orbital insertion + first-stage recovery process." Although the soft landing was not achieved, most key steps in the recovery process were validated.

With China's "15th Five-Year Plan" preliminary research underway and growing demand for large-scale low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, the Long March 12A's maiden flight represents a coordinated exploration by both national and commercial entities in reusable rocket technology.

**About the Long March 12A** The Long March 12A is a two-stage rocket standing over 60 meters tall, with a diameter of 3.8 meters and a liftoff mass of 433 tons. It can be equipped with payload fairings of 4.2 or 5.2 meters in diameter. Its first stage features seven liquid oxygen-methane "Longyun" engines, while the second stage uses a single vacuum-optimized YF-209V engine.

Payload capacity: - 12 tons to a 200 km low-Earth orbit (LEO) - 7.3 tons to a 700 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO)

The Long March 12A's design is not a radical departure but builds on China's mature expendable liquid rocket systems. Its use of liquid oxygen-methane propellant—cleaner and more reusable-friendly but less proven—reflects a forward-looking approach requiring extensive flight validation.

**Challenges in Development** Globally, SpaceX's Falcon 9 underwent a similar evolution, with multiple failed recovery attempts before achieving success in 2015. Zhao Jincai highlighted key challenges for the Long March 12A: 1. Ensuring liquid oxygen-methane engines operate stably across varying altitudes and weights. 2. Maintaining precise control during high-speed reentry, deceleration, and vertical descent. 3. Balancing structural robustness with weight to preserve payload capacity.

The rocket also introduced a new digital assembly system, emphasizing modularity and consistency to enhance scalability and manufacturing quality.

**Complementary Development in China's Reusable Rocket Sector** China's aerospace ecosystem features parallel efforts by state and commercial entities: - **State Sector**: Prioritizes reliability and systematic capability, as seen in the Long March 8 and 12A programs. - **Commercial Sector**: Focuses on rapid iteration, exemplified by the Zhuque-3's stainless-steel structure and cost-efficient design. Other commercial rockets, like Tianbing Technology's Tianlong-3 and CAS Space's Lijian-2, are also preparing for debut.

This dual-track approach fosters healthy competition and collaboration, with state projects providing foundational support and commercial ventures driving innovation.

**Strategic Significance for the Satellite Constellation Era** The Long March 12A's launch signifies China's transition from conceptual exploration to engineering practice in reusable rockets, laying groundwork for cost-effective, high-cadence launches. Positioned in the medium-lift segment critical for satellite constellations, its maturation will influence China's competitiveness in space infrastructure, particularly for mega-constellation deployment.

As low-Earth orbit satellite networks expand to tens of thousands of units, reusable rockets emerge as the only viable solution to meet cost and launch frequency demands, elevating the Long March 12A's strategic importance to national space capabilities.