China has sent its first Long March 6C rocket into space

The new Long March 6C rocket successfully put four satellites into orbit late Monday on its first flight.

The first Long March 6C rocket took off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 11:21 Eastern on May 6 (0321 UTC on May 7). The rocket’s manufacturer, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), confirmed the launch success within an hour of liftoff. confirmed The first Long March 6C rocket took off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 11:21 Eastern on May 6 (0321 UTC on May 7). The rocket’s manufacturer, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), confirmed the launch success within an hour of liftoff.

Four satellites were on the launch. The main payload was Haiwangxing-1, an experimental 239-kilogram X-band synthetic aperture radar satellite. Neptune-1 was made by SAST for Zhihui Space Tech. The latter company plans to launch 12 operational satellites for the Neptune constellation.

The other satellites included Zhixing 1C, another SAR satellite, this time for Beijing-based Smart Satellite. The other two are described as wide-view optical and high-resolution video satellites. The mission was a SAST rideshare launch.

The new, 43-meter-tall rocket is the latest in a line of new-generation rockets developed by SAST known as the Long March 6 series.

The Long March 6C is a shorter version of the 50-meter-tall Long March 6A without the 6A’s four solid rocket boosters. The Long March 6C is a variation of the 50-meter-tall Long March 6A without the 6A’s four solid rocket boosters. The rocket is able to lift about 2,400 kgs to a 500-kilometer Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). The 6A can carry 4,500 kg to a 700-km SSO. The variations offer more launch options and flexibility.

The launch was China’s 20th of 2024 and follows the May 3 launch of the sample return mission. China aims to launch around 100 times. Chang’e-6 The launch was China’s 20th of 2024 and follows the May 3 launch of the sample return mission. China aims to launch around 100 times. The rocket manufacturer SAST has plans for its new rockets. this year.

The Long March 6C is not the only new SAST rocket expected to fly this year. The academy is also planning to debut its 3.8m-diameter Long March 12 later this year from a new commercial launch site at Wenchang. It will be capable of lifting 10 tons to low Earth orbit or 6 tons to a 700-kilometer sun-synchronous orbit.

The rockets are part of a new generation of Chinese rockets that use kerosene and liquid oxygen instead of toxic, hypergolic propellant. However, access to spaceports capable of facilitating these launches has slowed the rate at which the older Long March rockets can be replaced. The academy has plans to debut a 4.0-meter-diameter rocket in the next couple of years. It could use methane-liquid oxygen engines developed by a commercial entity.A SAST promotional video released with today’s launch shows the Long March 6A and 6C next to two further rocket models. Both future models appear to have landing legs for recovery and reuse. It is unclear which rockets these are.

SAST is a major institute under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s state-owned main space contractor.

The Beijing-based China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) is CASC’s other rocket design and manufacturing arm. CALT is developing the new Long March 10 reusable rocket for human spaceflight. One variant of which will be designed to send astronauts and a landing stack to the moon. Long March 10 will be slowed down using retropropulsion and caught with tight wires when in recoverable mode.

China's businesses aiming to use rockets multiple times

China's work towards creating reusable rockets doesn't stop there. The country's companies providing launch services are also developing rockets that can be used again. Notably among them is Space Pioneer's

, which will be similar in capability to the Falcon 9 and is set to launch later this summer. Landspace is creating its rocket made of stainless steel at Jiuquan, while iSpace is also working on a Hyperbola-3 rocket powered by methane and liquid oxygen. A number of these companies have also conducted hop tests, along with SAST and CASC’s sister entity However, the first attempt at launching and landing in orbit may come from Deep Blue Aerospace. The company plans to launch its light-lift Nebula-1 rocket in the second half of the year. Galactic Energy is also working towards the first launch of the Pallas-1 kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket. The first flight, expected later this year, is likely to be expendable.

Important Features or Notes

Methane and liquid oxygen rocket that can be used multiple times Tianlong-3Can carry a load of 8,500 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO); first launch scheduled for 2025. Zhuque-3 Methane and liquid oxygen rocket that can be used multiple times CASIC.

Can carry a load of up to 21,000 kg to LEO; first launch scheduled for 2025.

Non-exhaustive list of planned Chinese reusable rockets.