China launches Long March 12 and 2C rockets after August 10 explosion

China’s space program resumed flight operations after the August 10 explosion of a Long March 7A rocket, launching two vehicles on Sunday, August 16. The missions marked the first successful launches for the country in the wake of the recent setback.

The Long March 12 was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, carrying a communications satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. At the same time, a Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, deploying a constellation of small satellites into low‑Earth orbit. Both launches completed their primary objectives and were declared successful by the China National Space Administration.

These back‑to‑back successes underscore the resilience of China’s launch infrastructure and its capacity to maintain a steady cadence of missions following the earlier failure. The successful flights demonstrate that the program is back on track to meet its scheduled launch commitments.