China's Long March 12B Rocket Completes Static Fire Test Amid Launch Failures
China's Long March 12B rocket successfully completed a static fire test on January 16, a crucial step towards a future test flight. However, the day was marred by two significant launch failures: the Long March 3B rocket lost the Shijian-32 satellite due to a third stage malfunction, and Galactic Energy's Ceres-2 rocket failed shortly after launch, resulting in the loss of approximately six satellites. These setbacks raise concerns about reliability as China targets a record launch year in 2026.
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China's China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation performed a static fire test of the Long March 12B rocket on January 16 at the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Zone. The test simulates pre-launch processes, potentially leading to a future test flight.
Meanwhile, China experienced two launch failures on the same day: the Long March 3B rocket lost the Shijian-32 satellite due to a third stage malfunction, marking the first complete failure of the Long March 3B since 2020. Later, Galactic Energy's Ceres-2 rocket also failed shortly after launch, resulting in the loss of around six satellites. These incidents raise concerns regarding reliability as China aims for a record launch year in 2026.
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