Long March 12 to debut from new space complex

China's newest carrier rocket, the Long March 12, is scheduled to make its debut flight, which will also be the first launch at the new Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, the nation's first spaceport dedicated to facilitating commercial operations.

The first Long March 12 was moved on Tuesday morning to the No 2 launch service tower at the new space complex in Hainan province's coastal city of Wenchang, the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the rocket model's developer, said in a brief news release, noting the maiden flight will take place in the near future.

The Long March 12 is the first Chinese rocket with a diameter of 3.8 meters; most Chinese rockets have a diameter of 3.35 meters. A wider body means the rocket can contain more propellants than 3.35-meter-wide models, giving it greater carrying capacity.