It should be noted that the previous prototype

[mahbubamim077]

The test mission profile involved Longxing-2 taking off at an altitude of about 75 kilometers, followed by a return, braking, and a soft splashdown in the Yellow Sea. For safety reasons, the landing was to be practiced not on a land pad, but on water. The takeoff and ascent went smoothly, but CASC and SAST officials did not provide information on how successful the return was. Usually, Chinese space agencies publish information almost immediately if everything went well.

It should be noted that the previous prototype of this carrier sms gateway chile passed tests in June 2024 quite successfully. Then the rocket rose to an altitude of 12 kilometers and landed safely on the landing pad.

It is known that Longxing-2 is equipped with methane engines. The same will be used on the Long March-12A rocket. At the same time, there is the Long March-12 carrier, which was first launched in November 2024. It runs on kerosene and has a single-use configuration.

It should be noted that China is not betting on just one version of a reusable launch vehicle. Several rockets are being developed in parallel. Three of them are planned for the Long March series alone. All of them are at different stages of design. Commercial Chinese companies are also participating in the creation of reusable rockets. Some of them have also successfully conducted their “jump” tests of prototypes with a successful vertical landing.

In the long term, China expects to focus on the reusability of rockets to increase the frequency of launches. This is necessary to satisfy an ambitious space program that includes the creation of several mega-groups of satellites at once.