Story perspectives

China's Reusable Rocket Fails; DJI Added to U.S. Risk List

12/23/2025

Summary

Story summary

The Long March 12A, China's first state-owned reusable rocket, launched December 20, 2025.
It failed to recover its first stage, while the second stage reached its intended orbit.
This marks China's second unsuccessful orbital-class booster attempt this month.
Dà-Jiang Innovations (DJI), the Shenzhen-based drone maker, was added by the United States to a national security risk list.
DJI said existing products remain unaffected and criticized the decision's lack of transparency.

History

Historical Context

China's Long March rocket program, initiated in 1970, faced significant challenges, including a notable failure of the Long March 5 in July 2017, which delayed its space ambitions. The China National Space Administration aims for lunar and Mars missions, but recent setbacks, like the Long March 12A failure, underscore ongoing difficulties in developing reliable rocket technology amid rising U.S.-China tensions over aerospace security.

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Story summary

The Long March 12A, China's first state-owned reusable rocket, launched December 20, 2025.
It failed to recover its first stage, while the second stage reached its intended orbit.
This marks China's second unsuccessful orbital-class booster attempt this month.
Dà-Jiang Innovations (DJI), the Shenzhen-based drone maker, was added by the United States to a national security risk list.
DJI said existing products remain unaffected and criticized the decision's lack of transparency.

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