China's "Long March-12B" makes debut flight as a competitor to "Falcon 9" without prior warning

On Monday, China conducted the first flight of its new rocket, "Long March-12B," which is viewed as a direct competitor to SpaceX's "Falcon 9." The launch took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert and attracted attention not only for its technical parameters, but also because, according to available data, it occurred without the standard prior notification to aviation and maritime authorities—a practice that usually accompanies such missions.

First flight of "Long March-12B" and the payload to orbit

The two-stage rocket, using kerosene and liquid oxygen, lifted off at 4:40 a.m. Eastern Time. During the flight, it placed 18 satellites intended for the "Qianfan" internet mega-constellation into polar orbit.

The "Qianfan" system, also known as "SpaceSail" and "Thousand Sails," represents China's answer to SpaceX's "Starlink" satellite internet. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation ("CASC") declared the flight a success.

Reusable rocket in the class of "Falcon 9"

"Long March-12B" has been developed with the idea of reusability. Its first stage is designed to return to Earth via a controlled landing at a facility in Gansu province. During this debut flight, however, no attempt was made to recover the stage—the mission was conducted in an expendable configuration.

The rocket can lift up to 20,000 kilograms of payload into low Earth orbit in an expendable configuration, which places it in a comparable class to SpaceX's "Falcon 9." With this launch, the total number of flights in the history of the "Long March" family reached 647.

Lack of prior warning – an atypical move

According to information cited by "SpaceNews," news of the launch first spread on Chinese social media. No prior notifications were published for aviation and maritime authorities—an atypical deviation from established practice for both government and commercial space missions.

Usually, such notifications aim to ensure the safety of air and maritime traffic in the areas of launch and the landing of jettisoned parts. Their absence raises questions about transparency and coordination for this new type of launch.

Intensive phase for the Chinese space program

The debut of "Long March-12B" comes during a period of increased activity for the Chinese space program. On May 29, the "Shenzhou-21" crew—astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhan—returned to Earth aboard the "Shenzhou-22" spacecraft after a record-breaking 210-day mission aboard the "Tiangong" space station.

The capsule also delivered about 41 kilograms of scientific samples from 23 experimental projects in the fields of life sciences, materials science, and combustion, reports the "Xinhua" agency. This underscores the scientific focus and the long-term nature of the Chinese presence in orbit.

New record for time spent in orbit

Just a few days before the launch of "Long March-12B," China sent the "Shenzhou-23" mission into orbit. According to "Reuters," it is expected that one of the crew members will spend a full year aboard "Tiangong"—a duration that will set a new national record for continuous time in space.

This ambitious plan confirms China's desire not only to develop self-launching rockets and satellite systems but also to gain experience in long-term crewed missions and the operation of its own orbital station.

Fast-developing "Qianfan" mega-constellation

Meanwhile, the "Qianfan" constellation is expanding at a high pace. In 2026, the "Long March-8" rocket has been regularly performing launches to deploy satellites for the network, thereby gradually building China's satellite internet infrastructure.

The entry into service of the "Long March-12B" adds a launcher with greater payload capacity to the program, which allows more satellites to be launched at once. This makes it possible to accelerate the formation of the planned mega-constellation, which is intended to unite thousands of internet satellites in low orbit and offer an alternative to systems like "Starlink".