China carries out key test on a new type of reusable carrier rocket

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country's leading space contractor, conducted a key test on a new type of reusable carrier rocket on Friday afternoon, the company said in a statement.

During the test at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, engines on the first-stage booster of the Long March 12B were ignited and kept burning for a while.

Engineers verified fueling, ignition, and the following procedures. Systems on the rocket worked stably and smoothly, testifying to their reliability and paving the way for flight tests, according to the company.

It noted that the Long March 12B has two 4-meter-wide stages that are powered by engines consuming liquid oxygen and kerosene. The model will be able to transport payloads with a combined weight of 20 metric tons to low-Earth orbits.

Industry insiders said the rocket will be about 70 meters tall and will weigh around 700 tons when fully fueled. Its first-stage booster will be reusable — it is designed to fly back to Earth after separating from the second-stage booster and vertically land on a designated site with the assistance of grid fins and landing legs.

In late December, the corporation performed the maiden flight of its first reusable rocket, the Long March 12A, at the Jiuquan spaceport.

During that flight, the rocket's second-stage booster reached its preset orbital position, but the first-stage booster crashed near the designated recovery site in the neighboring Gansu province. Engineers have been investigating the failed recovery attempt.