Long March 12 makes debut flight at new commercial spaceport

China's newest type of carrier rocket, the Long March 12, made its maiden flight on Saturday night, which also marked the debut mission of the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, the nation's first spaceport dedicated to facilitating commercial operations. Watched by a large crowd of spectators inside and surrounding the coastal launch complex, four liquid oxygen-kerosene engines on the rocket's first stage roared with dazzling flame at 10:25 pm when the hold-down clamps on the launch pad released, lifting the gigantic vehicle up into night skies from the No 2 launch pad at the new space complex. Designed by the Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute, the Long March 12 is the 22nd member of the Long March family, the backbone of China's space sector, and the 17th in the operating fleet. The Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center is a joint venture of the Hainan provincial government and three State-owned space conglomerates including China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.