# Long March 10B

**Type:** Heavy-lift launch vehicle (cargo variant)
**Operator:** China National Space Administration / CASC
**Status:** Pre-operational (wet dress rehearsal completed April 2026)
**Primary Mission:** China crewed lunar program support

## Overview

Long March 10B is the cargo variant of China's Long March 10 family, designed to support the country's crewed lunar landing program targeted for ~2030. The rocket features a 5.0-meter diameter and uses kerosene/LOX propulsion.

## Key Capabilities

- **Reusability:** Designed with first-stage recovery capability
- **Mission Profile:** Heavy-lift payloads and crew spacecraft delivery to cislunar space
- **Role:** Analogous to SLS (expendable) or Starship (reusable) in the US program
- **Primary Customer:** Chinese national space program, not commercial constellation deployment

## Development Timeline

- **2026-04-13** — Completed wet dress rehearsal (fueling test) at Wenchang spaceport
- **2026 Q2** — Expected debut launch "in the coming weeks" per SpaceNews

## Strategic Context

Long March 10B represents China's pathway to independent crewed lunar operations and validates the country's ability to develop reusable heavy-lift capability outside the US/SpaceX ecosystem. Development timeline appears aggressive compared to Western equivalents (SLS took 15+ years from inception to first flight).

## Sources

- SpaceNews, April 2026 - "Fueling test suggests imminent debut of China's reusable Long March 10B rocket"