China Developing 7-Meter-Diameter Reusable Rockets
Summary: China is developing next-generation reusable rockets with 7-meter-diameter cores, alongside Long March 10B and Long March 12B programs, SpaceNews reported.
According to SpaceNews, China's main space contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is now working on a new intermediate-class launch vehicle featuring a core stage with a diameter in the 7.0-meter range. This would be a first for China's orbital launcher lineup, filling the gap between the Long March 5's 5-meter-class core and the country's planned super-heavy-lift vehicles.
The new 7-meter-diameter rocket is being designed for reusability, aiming to boost China's launch capacity while driving down costs. Its development runs in parallel with two other reusable programs: the Long March 10B and the Long March 12B. The Long March 12B, a two-stage kerosene-liquid oxygen vehicle with a 4.37-meter-diameter core and an overall length of roughly 72 meters, already completed its maiden flight from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in June 2026, carrying commercial payloads on its first mission.
SpaceNews notes that the specific configuration, payload capacity, and timeline for the 7-meter-diameter rocket have not been publicly disclosed. The revelation signals that China is simultaneously pursuing multiple tiers of reusable launch vehicles, from small-to-medium commercial payloads to heavy-lift crewed and deep-space missions. Notably, China has already scrapped plans for an expendable version of the Long March 9 in favor of a reusable variant, underscoring that reusability has become a central pillar of the country's next-generation launch vehicle strategy.