China's new carrier rockets to make maiden flight soon

A model of the Long March 12 carrier rocket, China's first single-core liquid-fueled rocket is displayed at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 17, 2024. (Photo/China News Service)

(ECNS) -- China unveiled two new types of self-developed carrier rockets-- the Long March 6C and the Long March 12 during the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday.

The two-stage Long March 12 carrier rocket, China's first single-core liquid-fueled rocket with a diameter of 3.8 meters, is set to conduct its maiden flight soon.

The rocket, powered by the latest variant of China's YF-100 kerosene-liquid oxygen engine, can be conveniently transported by rail to any launch site across the country.

The first Long March 6C carrier rocket was lifted from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on May 7, 2024. Standing at 43 meters tall, this liquid-propellant rocket is a member of China's new generation of commercial rockets, boasting a payload capacity of about 2.4 metric tonnes to a 500 km solar synchronous orbit.

With a takeoff weight of about 215 metric tonnes, the Long March6C features a first stage with a diameter of 3.35 meters and a second stage with a diameter of 2.9 meters. As a new generation of liquid carrier rocket, it is designed to accommodate a wide range of mission requirements.