Long March 10 by CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.): status and timeline

Long March 10

Three-stage super-heavy-lift rocket for Mengzhou orbiter and Lanyue lunar lander before 2030. Lifts 70t to LEO, 27t to lunar orbit.

ProtoStage 2 of 5

Suborbital test Feb 2026; LM-10B maiden orbital July 2026 with booster recovery. LM-10A planned Q4 2026.

Updated 10 Jul 2026Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Long March 10A first orbital flight (Mengzhou 1)

Engine development and testing begins2017Complete.
Full-scale structural prototype testing completed2020Complete.
Long March 10 officially namedFeb 2023Complete.
Designated primary vehicle for crewed lunar programMay 2023Complete.
First suborbital test flight (Mengzhou abort test at max Q)11 Feb 2026Complete.
Long March 10B maiden orbital flight with booster net-catch recovery10 Jul 2026Complete.
Long March 10A first orbital flight (Mengzhou 1)Target Q4 2026Current milestone.
First crewed test flight with Mengzhou and LanyueTarget 2028Not yet reached.
Crewed lunar landing missionTarget 2029Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

Q4 2026Long March 10A first orbital flight (Mengzhou 1) (next)
2028First crewed test flight with Mengzhou and Lanyue
2029Crewed lunar landing mission

Current obstacles

Booster reflight qualificationRecovery achieved, but refurbishing and reflying a caught booster is unproven; key step to prove reusability.
Crewed lunar landing system integrationMengzhou, Lanyue and Long March 10 must function flawlessly together; malfunction threatens the crew.

Physics limits

Launch site capacityThe Long March 10 can only launch from Wenchang, a single site on Hainan Island, limiting launch frequency and manifest scheduling.
Engine production rateThe YF-100K and related engines must be produced in large numbers for the core/booster combination; supply chain and manufacturing limits cadence.
Booster recovery complexityNet-catch recovery requires precise trajectory control and timing; bad weather, high seas or tracking errors can lose the booster. Return-to-launch-site would be simpler but requires more fuel.

How it works

3 parts

Booster cores

Paired first-stage boosters

Two core boosters with multiple YF-100K engines provide initial thrust. Long March 10B recovered both via net system.

Central core

Main first-stage core

Central first stage with additional engines throughout ascent provides stability. Demonstrated controlled booster separation.

Upper stages

Second stage and above

Cryogenic upper stages with YF-79 or similar hydrogen-oxygen engines provide high performance for orbital insertion and lunar transfer burns.

Spec sheet

Spec	Long March 10
Height	92.5 m^R (reported)
Diameter	5 m^R (reported)
Liftoff mass	2,189 tonnes^R (reported)
Thrust at liftoff	26,250 kN^R (reported)
Payload to low Earth orbit	70 tonnes^R (reported)
Payload to lunar transfer orbit	27 tonnes^R (reported)
First-stage engines	21 YF-100K engines at liftoff^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Peer comparison

Launch peers

Spec	Long March 10	ArianeGroup / Arianespace Ariane 6	ISRO LVM3	LandSpace Zhuque-3	Skyroot Aerospace Vikram-1
Height	92.5 m^R (reported)	93 m^R (reported)	43.5 m^R (reported)	76.6 m^R (reported)	20 m^R (reported)
Diameter	5 m^R (reported)	5.4 m^R (reported)	—	4.5 m^R (reported)	1.7 m^R (reported)
Liftoff mass	2,189 tonnes^R (reported)	—	640 tonnes^R (reported)	—	—
Thrust at liftoff	26,250 kN^R (reported)	—	—	9,000 kN^R (reported)	—

^R reported by the company

Update log

3 updates

About CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)

The team behind Long March 10

CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)

Long March rockets, Chinese space program, Mengzhou crew spacecraft

CASC, China's primary space contractor since 1999, develops Long March rockets, Tiangong station, Beidou navigation and crewed spacecraft across 8 major R&D complexes.

Long March 10B achieved China's first orbital booster recovery July 2026 via net catch system at orbital speeds.
Long March 10 is central to crewed lunar landing before 2030. Mengzhou crew module aborted successfully at max Q in Feb 2026.
Also operates Tiangong space station, Beidou navigation, and provides commercial launch services worldwide.

english.spacechina.com (opens english.spacechina.com)Company profile →

Founded: 199927 yrs
Headquarters: China
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Works in: SpaceflightLaunch
Coverage: 2 programs · 4 updateslatest 10 Jul 2026checked 10 Oct

Spec

Long March 10

Height

92.5 m^R (reported)

Diameter

5 m^R (reported)

Liftoff mass

2,189 tonnes^R (reported)

Thrust at liftoff

26,250 kN^R (reported)

Payload to low Earth orbit

70 tonnes^R (reported)

Payload to lunar transfer orbit

27 tonnes^R (reported)

First-stage engines

21 YF-100K engines at liftoff^R (reported)

Spec

Long March 10

ArianeGroup / Arianespace Ariane 6

ISRO LVM3

LandSpace Zhuque-3

Skyroot Aerospace Vikram-1

Height

92.5 m^R (reported)

93 m^R (reported)

43.5 m^R (reported)

76.6 m^R (reported)

20 m^R (reported)

Diameter

5 m^R (reported)

5.4 m^R (reported)

—

4.5 m^R (reported)

1.7 m^R (reported)

Liftoff mass

2,189 tonnes^R (reported)

—

640 tonnes^R (reported)

—

Thrust at liftoff

26,250 kN^R (reported)

—

9,000 kN^R (reported)

—

Long March 10

Milestones

Most important updates

Upcoming

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Paired first-stage boosters

Main first-stage core

Second stage and above

Spec sheet

Peer comparison

Update log

Fri 10 Jul

Wed 11 Feb

Feb 2023

About CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)

Current obstacles

Physics limits

How it works

Paired first-stage boosters

Main first-stage core

Second stage and above

Spec sheet

Peer comparison

Update log

Fri 10 Jul

Wed 11 Feb

Feb 2023

About CASC (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.)