HELSINKI - China's space ambitions are apparently running on a tight schedule, with a fresh batch of state-led and commercial rockets lined up for their debut flights and first stage recovery attempts in the coming weeks and months. Because clearly, one or two new rockets just aren't enough to ease the launch bottleneck for the country's megaconstellation projects.
The state-owned CASC's Long March 12B recently appeared vertical on the pad at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China, according to unofficial images. The rocket, which follows a January hotfire test, sports landing legs, though it's unclear if anyone will actually try to recover the first stage on its maiden voyage. The 4-meter-diameter class rocket runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen, with a "20-ton-class low Earth orbit carrying capacity," though the exact numbers for expendable and recoverable modes remain a mystery.
This rocket is distinct from the Long March 12A, which debuted in December 2025 but made a failed recovery attempt and uses methane-liquid oxygen engines. That one can deliver around 9,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO), or about 6,000 kg when the first stage is recovered, landing at a dedicated site downrange of Jiuquan. No solid launch date for the 12B yet, but earlier statements point to sometime in the first half of 2026.
Also vertical at the same test zone is commercial firm Galactic Energy's first liquid propellant launcher, the Pallas-1. The company completed phase 1 of its Pallas series rocket launch site on May 26, according to a statement. The rocket has landing legs and grid fins for reusability, but an attempted recovery on the first flight is not expected - presumably because they want to see if it works before trying to catch it. Pallas-1 is a kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket capable of carrying 7,000 kilograms of payload to a 200-km LEO (down from an earlier stated 8,000 kg). Galactic Energy also aims to debut the much larger Pallas-2 (20,000 kg to LEO) in 2027.
Over at iSpace, the Hyperbola-3's first-stage sea recovery landing system has completed full-profile ground verification, following a full-scale drop and shock test using a flight-weight first stage and landing legs, the company stated May 17. The rocket is officially expected to debut before the end of 2026, though recent milestones suggest the company might be ready earlier - and with a record D++ funding round of $729 million in February, they can afford to be optimistic.
The Long March 10B, a cargo version of the human-rated Long March 10A for the new Mengzhou crew spacecraft and key to China's lunar landing ambitions, rolled out to Wenchang Commercial LC-2 in early April and completed a successful wet dress rehearsal. It's targeting a booster sea-catch recovery attempt using a ship equipped with a wire recovery system. An expected test flight didn't immediately follow, with suggestions that an attempt may not come until July. The launch is significant given its relation to China's crewed lunar launch architecture, which is a polite way of saying "they really need this to work."
The Long March 10A is expected to debut later this year, following a successful in-flight abort test for Mengzhou that doubled as a simulated first stage flight and powered descent.
Another recovery attempt is expected from Landspace with its Zhuque-3, which successfully reached orbit late last year but failed in the latter stages of a first stage powered descent and landing attempt. The company stated it is targeting Q2 2026 for its second attempt, with suggestions the rocket has shipped to Jiuquan, but there's no sign of an imminent launch attempt at present.
These expected flights follow two debuts of new Chinese rockets in March and April this year: the Tianlong-3 from Space Pioneer failed to reach orbit, while CAS Space's Kinetica-2 was successful. So the score is currently one win, one loss - but China is clearly not done rolling the dice.