Next·Rocket·Launch

China rocket launches

Launches from China

Latest Chinese launch

Long March 2C · Yaogan 51-07 to 09

Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 11:58 PM BJT · Launch Successful

China launches roughly every four days, but almost never says when in advance — so this page leads with what has just flown, not a countdown. Times are in Beijing Time (UTC+8), with your own local time beside each launch.

Why there’s no Chinese launch schedule

“With the exception of major events such as crewed or lunar exploration missions, Chinese launches are rarely openly announced. Indirect means such as NOTAMS — notices filed with aviation authorities to notify of aircraft of potential hazards — are often the only indication of imminent launches.”

Even the airspace notices aren’t guaranteed: when the Long March 12B made its debut in June 2026, China issued none at all. A launch is usually confirmed by CASC once the payload is in orbit.

What our own records show

Since Aug 12, 2026 this site has checked the public launch schedule every 4 hours and kept a record of every change. Comparing the 18 Chinese launches we watched from first listing to liftoff with 17 American ones:

Chinese launches

First listed 5.9 days before liftoff (median)

Exact time known before liftoff: 0 of 18 — the time typically appeared about 4 hours after launch

US launches

First listed 12.3 days before liftoff (median)

Exact time known before liftoff: 17 of 17, a median of 11.1 days ahead

Source: this site’s schedule journal, built from Launch Library 2 every 4 hours. A time published less than 4 hours before liftoff would count as “after” here. Launches already listed when the journal began are left out, since we can’t know when they first appeared.

Recent Chinese launches

Long March 2C | Yaogan 51-07 to 09

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China

Launch Successful

Thu, Nov 5 · 11:58 PM BJT

3 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.

Kinetica 2 | SpaceSail Polar Group #17

CAS Space · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

Launch Successful

Tue, Nov 3 · 8:15 AM BJT

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with funding backed by the Shanghai local government. Initial constellation will consist of 1296 satellites by 2027 with long term plans to expand it to 12000 satellites.

Long March 8A | SatNet LEO Group 28

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Wenchang Space Launch Site, China

Launch Successful

Sun, Oct 25 · 10:03 AM BJT

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.

Long March 4B | Yaogan 53-07 to 09/56-19 to 21

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

Launch Successful

Sat, Oct 24 · 3:25 AM BJT

6 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.

Long March 6A | Yaogan 50-03

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China

Launch Successful

Fri, Oct 23 · 6:15 PM BJT

The Yaogan 50-03 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.

Ceres-1S | Xiguang-4 01

Galactic Energy · Haiyang Oriental Spaceport

Launch Successful

Wed, Oct 21 · 11:39 AM BJT

0.5 meter resolution Earth observation satellite for the city of Guangzhou government and Guangzhou University with multi-spectral imaging capability. Prototype of a proposed 25 satellites constellation.

All recent launches worldwide →

Known upcoming Chinese launches

Treat these as rough: Chinese launch dates are rarely official, and the exact time usually isn’t public until after liftoff.

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Ceres-2 | Unknown Payload

Galactic Energy · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

Go for Launch

Sat, Nov 7 · 7:35 AM BJT

Details TBD.

Monday, November 9, 2026

Long March 12 | SatNet LEO Group TBD?

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Wenchang Space Launch Site, China

Go for Launch

Mon, Nov 9 · 4:25 AM BJT

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Long March 2D | Unknown Payload

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

Go for Launch

Wed, Nov 11 · 7:40 PM BJT

Details TBD.

Friday, November 20, 2026

Long March 8A | SatNet LEO Group TBD?

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Wenchang Space Launch Site, China

To Be Confirmed

Fri, Nov 20 · 7:00 PM BJT

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.

Tuesday, November 24, 2026

Long March 12 | SatNet LEO Group TBD?

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Wenchang Space Launch Site, China

To Be Confirmed

Tue, Nov 24 · 3:00 PM BJT

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group. The constellation will eventually consists of 13000 satellites.

Wednesday, November 25, 2026

Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou 24

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation · Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China

To Be Determined

Wed, Nov 25 · time not yet set

Shenzhou 24 will be the 24th flight of the Shenzhou program. The first astronaut from Pakistan is expected to fly on this on a short duration mission, with another Chinese astronaut to undergo a year long expedition.

Who launches rockets in China

The state-owned CASC still flies most Chinese launches with the Long March family. Since a private company first reached orbit in 2019 (iSpace’s Hyperbola-1), a wave of commercial launchers — some private, some spun out of state institutes — has joined it.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) 中国航天科技集团 State-owned Long March 2C, Long March 2D, Long March 2F, Long March 3B, Long March 4B, Long March 5, Long March 6A, Long March 7, Long March 7A, Long March 8A, Long March 12, Long March 12A, Long March 10B 2026 launches: 52
LandSpace 蓝箭航天 Private 2015 · Beijing Zhuque-2E, Zhuque-3 2026 launches: 5
Galactic Energy 星河动力航天 Private 2018 · Beijing Ceres-1, Ceres-2 2026 launches: 4
CAS Space 中科宇航 State-backed 2018 · Guangzhou Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1), Kinetica-2 (Lijian-2) 2026 launches: 7
China Rocket Co. Ltd. 中国长征火箭有限公司 State-backed 2016 · Beijing Smart Dragon 3 (Jielong-3) 2026 launches: 4
ExPace (Kuaizhou Aerospace Technology) 快舟航天空间科技 (formerly 航天科工火箭技术有限公司) State-backed 2016 · Wuhan Kuaizhou-1A, Kuaizhou-11 2026 launches: 3
Space Pioneer 天兵科技 Private 2019 · Beijing Tianlong-3 2026 launches: 1
iSpace (Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology) 星际荣耀 Private Beijing Hyperbola-1, Hyperbola-3 2026 launches: 0
Orienspace 东方空间 Private 2020 · Haiyang, Yantai, Shandong Gravity-1, Gravity-2 2026 launches: 2

ExPace was renamed Kuaizhou Aerospace Technology in July 2026 after a restructuring; launch databases still list it as ExPace.

Chinese rockets, with sources

Specifications for 27 Chinese rockets, flying or about to fly. Each figure links to where it comes from — manufacturer spec sheets and China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CASC’s export arm) first, then Chinese state media and space news outlets. Blank fields are ones we couldn’t confirm. Payload figures depend on the target orbit, so treat them as the maker’s headline numbers. Last checked Oct 26, 2026.

Also flying in 2026, not yet researched for this page: Long March 8, Pallas-1, Long March 6C, Long March 12B, Long March 6, Long March 4C.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Long March 2C 长征二号丙

active · 5 launches in 2026

China's long-serving two-stage hypergolic launcher for small and medium payloads to low Earth and sun-synchronous orbits.[1]

Height
42 m[1]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
233 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
2,962 kN[1]
Payload to LEO
3.9 t[1]
Payload to SSO
1.4 t[1]
Payload to GTO
1.3 t[1]
Propellant
1st: N2O4/UDMH; 2nd: N2O4/UDMH[1]
Engines
YF-21C (1st stage), YF-24E (2nd stage: YF-22E main + YF-23C verniers)[1]
First flight
1975-11-26[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan (JSLC); Taiyuan (TSLC); Xichang (XSLC)[1]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.

Long March 2D 长征二号丁

active · 5 launches in 2026

SAST's two-stage hypergolic rocket mainly used to launch LEO and sun-synchronous satellites.[1]

Height
41.1 m[1]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
250 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
2,962 kN[1]
Payload to LEO
3.3 t[2]
Payload to SSO
1.3 t[1]
Propellant
1st: N2O4/UDMH; 2nd: N2O4/UDMH[1]
Engines
YF-21C (1st stage), YF-24C (2nd stage)[1]
First flight
1992-08-09[2]
Launch sites
Jiuquan (JSLC); Taiyuan (TSLC); Xichang (XSLC)[1]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.
  2. [2] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 2F 长征二号F

active · 2 launches in 2026

China's human-rated launcher that carries Shenzhou crews to low Earth orbit and the Tiangong space station.[1]

Height
58.4 m[1]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
480 t[1]
Payload to LEO
8.4 t[2]
Propellant
Boosters: N2O4/UDMH; 1st: N2O4/UDMH; 2nd: N2O4/UDMH[2]
Engines
YF-20B (4 boosters), YF-21B (1st stage), YF-24B (2nd stage)[3]
First flight
1999-11-19[3]
Launch sites
Jiuquan (JSLC), LC-43/91 (LA-4/SLS-1)[3]
  1. [1] CGTN
  2. [2] Wikipedia — used only where no primary or press source gave the figure
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 3B 长征三号乙

active · 3 launches in 2026

China's workhorse three-stage rocket for heavy communications and BeiDou navigation satellites to geostationary transfer orbit.[1]

Height
56.3 m[1]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
459 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 5,923 kN[1]
Payload to LEO
11.2 t[2]
Payload to SSO
5.7 t[2]
Payload to GTO
5.5 t[1]
Propellant
Boosters: N2O4/UDMH; 1st: N2O4/UDMH; 2nd: N2O4/UDMH; 3rd: LOX/LH2[1]
Engines
YF-25 (boosters), YF-21C (1st), YF-24E (2nd), YF-75 x2 (3rd)[1]
First flight
1996-02-14[2]
Launch sites
Xichang (XSLC)[1]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.
  2. [2] Gunter’s Space Page
  3. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Long March 4B 长征四号乙

active · 3 launches in 2026

SAST's three-stage hypergolic rocket chiefly used for sun-synchronous Earth-observation and meteorological satellites.[1]

Height
44.1 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[2]
Liftoff mass
249 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
2,962 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
4.2 t[3]
Payload to SSO
2.8 t[3]
Payload to GTO
1.5 t[3]
Propellant
1st: N2O4/UDMH; 2nd: N2O4/UDMH; 3rd: N2O4/UDMH[2]
Engines
YF-21B (1st), YF-24B (2nd), YF-40 x2 (3rd)[3]
First flight
1999-05-10[3]
Launch sites
Taiyuan (TSLC); Jiuquan (JSLC); Xichang (XSLC)[3]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.
  2. [2] Wikipedia — used only where no primary or press source gave the figure
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 5 长征五号

active · 1 launch in 2026

China's heavy-lift rocket for space station modules, lunar and deep-space missions and heavy GEO satellites.[1]

Height
57 m[1]
Diameter
5 m[1]
Liftoff mass
867 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 10,395 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
25 t[1]
Payload to SSO
15 t[3]
Payload to GTO
14 t[1]
Propellant
Boosters: kerosene/LOX; 1st: LH2/LOX; 2nd: LH2/LOX[4]
Engines
YF-100 (2 per booster), YF-77 x2 (1st), YF-75D x2 (2nd)[3]
First flight
2016-11-03[1]
Launch sites
Wenchang (WSLC), LC-101[1]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.
  2. [2] CBS News
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. [4] Wikipedia — used only where no primary or press source gave the figure
  5. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Long March 6A 长征六号甲

active · 9 launches in 2026

SAST's medium-lift rocket for sun-synchronous, low-Earth and intermediate circular orbits, including Qianfan constellation batches.[1]

Height
50 m[1]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
530 t[1]
Payload to SSO
4 t[2]
Propellant
Boosters: solid; 1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: kerosene/LOX[2]
Engines
YF-100 x2 (1st), YF-115 (2nd)[2]
First flight
2022-03-29[2]
Launch sites
Taiyuan (TSLC), LC-9A[3]
  1. [1] China Daily
  2. [2] Spaceflight Now
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 7 长征七号

active · 1 launch in 2026

China's kerosene-fuelled medium-lift rocket that launches Tianzhou cargo ships to the Tiangong space station.[1]

Height
53.1 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[2]
Liftoff mass
597 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 7,060 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
13.5 t[2]
Payload to SSO
5.5 t[2]
Propellant
Boosters: kerosene/LOX; 1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: kerosene/LOX[1]
Engines
YF-100 (boosters, 1 each), YF-100 x2 (1st), YF-115 x4 (2nd)[3]
First flight
2016-06-25[1]
Launch sites
Wenchang (WSLC), LC-201[3]
  1. [1] China Great Wall Industry Corp.
  2. [2] China Daily
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Long March 7A 长征七号甲

active · 4 launches in 2026

Three-stage Long March 7 variant that sends satellites to geosynchronous transfer and inclined geosynchronous orbits.[1]

Height
60.1 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
573 t[1]
Payload to GTO
7 t[1]
Propellant
Boosters: kerosene/LOX; 1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: kerosene/LOX; 3rd: LH2/LOX[2]
Engines
YF-100 (boosters, 1st), YF-115 x4 (2nd), YF-75 x2 (3rd)[3]
First flight
2020-03-16[3]
Launch sites
Wenchang (WSLC), LC-201[3]
  1. [1] China Daily
  2. [2] SpaceNews
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 8A 长征八号甲

active · 6 launches in 2026

CALT's medium-lift rocket built for deploying large LEO/MEO internet constellation batches, mainly to sun-synchronous orbit.[1]

Height
50.5 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[1]
Liftoff mass
371 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 4,707 kN[2]
Payload to SSO
7 t[2]
Propellant
Boosters: kerosene/LOX; 1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: LH2/LOX[1]
Engines
YF-100 (boosters, 1st stage x2), YF-75H x2 (2nd)[3]
First flight
2025-02-11[1]
Launch sites
Wenchang (WSLC), LC-201; Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site, LP-1[3]
  1. [1] CASC
  2. [2] China Daily
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Long March 12 长征十二号

active · 5 launches in 2026

SAST's 3.8 m single-core medium-lift rocket for sun-synchronous and LEO constellation launches from Hainan's commercial spaceport.[1]

Height
62 m[1]
Diameter
3.8 m[1]
Liftoff mass
433 t[2]
Payload to LEO
12 t[1]
Payload to SSO
6 t[1]
Propellant
1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: kerosene/LOX[1]
Engines
YF-100J x4 (1st), YF-115 x2 (2nd)[3]
First flight
2024-11-30[1]
Launch sites
Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site, LP-2 (Wenchang)[1]
  1. [1] People’s Daily
  2. [2] Wikipedia — used only where no primary or press source gave the figure
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 12A 长征十二号甲

active

SAST's partially reusable methane-fuelled medium-lift rocket designed for first-stage recovery.[1]

Booster recovery: Landing attempt failed on debut (Dec 2025)

Height
70.4 m[1]
Diameter
3.8 m[1]
Liftoff mass
437 t[1]
Payload to LEO
12 t[2]
Payload to SSO
5 t[2]
Propellant
1st: methane/LOX; 2nd: methane/LOX[1]
Engines
Longyun-70 x7 (1st), YF-209 (2nd)[2]
First flight
2025-12-23[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan (Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone, dedicated pad)[1]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] Gunter’s Space Page

Long March 10B 长征十号乙

active · 1 launch in 2026

CALT's partially reusable commercial variant of the Long March 10 family, the first Chinese rocket to recover an orbital first stage.[1]

Booster recovery: Booster caught by a net at sea on debut (Jul 2026)

Diameter
5 m[2]
Payload to LEO
16 t[3]
Propellant
1st: kerosene/LOX; 2nd: methane/LOX[2]
Engines
YF-100K x7 (1st), YF-219 (2nd)[2]
First flight
2026-07-10[4]
Launch sites
Hainan Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site (Wenchang)[4]
  1. [1] Scientific American
  2. [2] Wikipedia — used only where no primary or press source gave the figure
  3. [3] Reuters (via Taipei Times)
  4. [4] Xinhua (via FOCAC)

LandSpace

Zhuque-2E 朱雀二号改进型

active · 4 launches in 2026

Upgraded Zhuque-2; the Zhuque-2 line became the world's first methane-fuelled rocket to reach orbit on 12 July 2023 (UTC).[1]

Height
55 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[2]
Liftoff mass
264 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 3,207 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
6 t[2]
Payload to SSO
4 t[2]
Propellant
methane-LOX (both stages)[2]
Engines
Stage 1: 4x TQ-12A; Stage 2: 1x TQ-15A[3]
First flight
2024-11-27 — success[3]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (LC-43/96)[3]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] Space.com
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Zhuque-3 朱雀三号

active · 1 launch in 2026

First Chinese commercial rocket to land its orbital-class booster, on its second flight on 18 Aug 2026 UTC (19 Aug Beijing time).[1]

Booster recovery: Landing failed on debut (Dec 2025); landed on legs on 2nd flight (Aug 2026)

Height
76.6 m[2]
Diameter
4.5 m[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 8,826 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
21.3 t[2]
Propellant
methane-LOX (both stages)[2]
Engines
Stage 1: 9x TQ-12B; Stage 2: 1x TQ-15B[2]
First flight
2025-12-03 — success (orbit reached); booster landing failed[3]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (LC-43/96B; LandSpace calls the area 'Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone')[3]
  1. [1] Space.com
  2. [2] Space.com
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Galactic Energy

Ceres-1 谷神星一号

active · 2 launches in 2026

Galactic Energy's small solid launcher; its 7 Nov 2020 debut made the company China's second nominally private firm to reach orbit.[1]

Height
19 m[1]
Diameter
1.4 m[2]
Liftoff mass
33 t[2]
Payload to LEO
420 kg[2]
Payload to SSO
300 kg[2]
Propellant
solid (stages 1-3) + liquid upper stage[2]
First flight
2020-11-07 — success[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (LC-43/95B); Sea launch from barges in the Yellow Sea (Ceres-1S)[3]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] galactic-energy.cn
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page

Ceres-2 谷神星二号

in development · 1 launch in 2026

Larger solid-fuelled successor to Ceres-1; its debut on 17 Jan 2026 failed.[1]

Diameter
2.35 m[2]
Liftoff mass
100 t[2]
Payload to LEO
1.6 t[2]
Propellant
solid (stages 1-3) + liquid upper stage[2]
First flight
2026-01-17 — failure[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[1]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] galactic-energy.cn

CAS Space

Kinetica-1 (Lijian-1) 力箭一号

active · 5 launches in 2026

CAS Space's four-stage solid rocket, rated at 1.5 t to 500 km SSO; first flew 27 July 2022.[1]

Height
30 m[1]
Diameter
2.65 m[1]
Liftoff mass
135 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 1,961 kN[1]
Payload to LEO
2 t[1]
Payload to SSO
1.5 t[1]
Propellant
solid (4 stages)[2]
First flight
2022-07-27 — success[2]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[2]
  1. [1] Space.com
  2. [2] Gunter’s Space Page
  3. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Kinetica-2 (Lijian-2) 力箭二号

active · 2 launches in 2026

First commercial rocket used in China's crewed space programme, launching a Qingzhou cargo-ship prototype on its 30 March 2026 debut.[1]

Height
53 m[2]
Diameter
3.35 m[2]
Liftoff mass
625 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 7,384 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
12 t[2]
Payload to SSO
8 t[2]
Propellant
kerosene-LOX[3]
Engines
YF-102 (3 per core/booster first stage, 9 total), YF-102V upper stage[4]
First flight
2026-03-30 — success[5]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[1]
  1. [1] China Daily
  2. [2] Space.com
  3. [3] Space.com
  4. [4] Gunter’s Space Page
  5. [5] SpaceNews
  6. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

China Rocket Co. Ltd.

Smart Dragon 3 (Jielong-3) 捷龙三号

active · 4 launches in 2026

Sea-launched four-stage solid rocket from CASC's commercial arm; its 9 Dec 2022 debut put 14 satellites in orbit.[1]

Height
31 m[2]
Diameter
2.65 m[1]
Liftoff mass
140 t[3]
Payload to SSO
1.5 t[1]
Propellant
solid (4 stages)[4]
First flight
2022-12-09 — success[1]
Launch sites
Sea launch, Yellow Sea (off Shandong); Sea launch, South China Sea (off Yangjiang, Guangdong)[3]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] Space.com
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. [4] Space.com

ExPace

Kuaizhou-1A 快舟一号甲

active

Flew what Jamestown calls the first purely commercial launch in Chinese history, on 9 Jan 2017.[1]

Height
20 m[2]
Diameter
1.4 m[2]
Liftoff mass
30 t[2]
Payload to LEO
300 kg[3]
Payload to SSO
200 kg[2]
Propellant
solid (stages 1-3) + liquid 4th stage[3]
First flight
2017-01-09 — success[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan; Taiyuan; Xichang[4]
  1. [1] jamestown.org
  2. [2] ithome.com
  3. [3] Spaceflight Now
  4. [4] Gunter’s Space Page

Kuaizhou-11 快舟十一号

active · 3 launches in 2026

Larger solid rocket with five times Kuaizhou-1A's payload; failed on debut in July 2020 and returned to flight on 7 Dec 2022.[1]

Diameter
2.2 m[2]
Liftoff mass
78 t[2]
Payload to LEO
1.5 t[1]
Payload to SSO
1 t[1]
Propellant
solid (3 stages)[2]
First flight
2020-07-10 — failure (stage 3 did not ignite)[2]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[1]
  1. [1] Space.com
  2. [2] Gunter’s Space Page

Space Pioneer

Tianlong-3 天龙三号

in development · 1 launch in 2026

Space Pioneer's Falcon 9-class kerosene rocket; its 3 April 2026 debut failed during ascent.[1]

Height
72 m[2]
Diameter
3.8 m[2]
Liftoff mass
600 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 8,385 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
17 t[2]
Payload to SSO
10 t[2]
Propellant
kerosene-LOX (official: coal-based kerosene)[2]
Engines
Stage 1: 9x TH-12 (Tianhuo-12); Stage 2: 1x TH-12V[2]
First flight
2026-04-03 — failure (anomaly during ascent)[1]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[1]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] spacepioneer.cc
  3. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

iSpace

Hyperbola-1 双曲线一号

active

First rocket from a nominally private Chinese company to reach orbit, on 25 July 2019.[1]

Height
20.8 m[2]
Diameter
1.4 m[2]
Liftoff mass
31 t[2]
Payload to SSO
260 kg[2]
Propellant
solid (stages 1-3) + liquid upper stage[2]
First flight
2019-07-25 — success[2]
Launch sites
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center[2]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] Spaceflight Now

Hyperbola-3 双曲线三号

in development

iSpace's planned reusable methane-fuelled rocket; not yet flown as of 26 Oct 2026.[1]

Height
69 m[1]
Payload to LEO
13.4 t[1]
Propellant
methane-LOX[1]
Engines
Focus (JD) series methalox engines[1]
  1. [1] SpaceNews

Orienspace

Gravity-1 引力一号

active · 2 launches in 2026

Sea-launched all-solid rocket with four strap-on boosters, which Orienspace bills as the world's first of its kind; debuted 11 Jan 2024.[1]

Height
30 m[1]
Liftoff mass
405 t[1]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 5,884 kN[1]
Payload to LEO
6.5 t[1]
Payload to SSO
4.2 t[1]
Propellant
solid (core stages + 4 solid strap-on boosters)[1]
First flight
2024-01-11 — success[2]
Launch sites
Sea launch, Yellow Sea off Haiyang, Shandong; Sea launch, East China Sea (from July 2026)[3]
  1. [1] Space.com
  2. [2] SpaceNews
  3. [3] Gunter’s Space Page
  4. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

Gravity-2 引力二号

in development

Orienspace's planned reusable kerosene rocket; first flight targeted for Q4 2026.[1]

Height
70 m[2]
Diameter
4.2 m[2]
Liftoff mass
715 t[2]
Liftoff thrust
≈ 9,709 kN[2]
Payload to LEO
21.5 t[2]
Payload to SSO
15 t[2]
Propellant
kerosene-LOX[2]
Engines
Stage 1: 9x Force-110 (Yuanli-110); Stage 2: 1x Force-110 vacuum[2]
  1. [1] SpaceNews
  2. [2] Space.com
  3. ≈ converted from tonnes-force or summed from the cited per-engine figures.

China’s launch sites

Common questions

Why can’t I find a schedule of Chinese rocket launches?
Because China rarely announces launches in advance. Outside observers infer launch windows from airspace closure notices, and even those are sometimes skipped. In our own records since Aug 12, 2026, Chinese launches appeared on the public schedule a median of 5.9 days before liftoff, and none of 18 had an exact launch time published before the rocket flew.
What time zone are Chinese launch times in?
Chinese announcements use Beijing Time (UTC+8), which is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern Time in winter and 12 hours ahead in summer. A launch on a Beijing morning is the previous evening in the Americas.
How many rockets does China launch a year?
China made 92 orbital launch attempts in 2025, by Payload’s count — second only to the United States, with 181. Chinese companies have flown 78 so far in 2026.
Which companies launch rockets in China?
The state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) flies the Long March family and most Chinese launches. Commercial launchers include LandSpace, Galactic Energy, CAS Space, China Rocket Co. Ltd., ExPace, Space Pioneer, iSpace, Orienspace.
Has China landed a rocket booster?
Yes, twice: a Long March 10B first stage was caught by a net on a sea platform on 10 July 2026, and LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 landed on legs on 19 August 2026 (Beijing time). Neither booster had flown again as of our last check.

How this page is put together

More

See the US–China reusable rocket race, the booster reuse leaderboard, or the full worldwide launch schedule.