Episode Details

China's carrier rocket fleet has expanded further, as the newest type in the Long March family, the Long March 12, made its debut flight on Saturday night from Wenchang, Hainan province.

11月30日晚，长征系列中最新型的长征十二号运载火箭在海南省文昌市点火起飞，中国的运载火箭队伍进一步壮大。

The flight also marked the first mission of the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, the nation's first spaceport dedicated to facilitating commercial operations.

这次发射是海南商业航天发射场的首次任务，它是全国首个专门用于促进商业运营的航天发射场。

As a large crowd of spectators gathered at the coastal launch complex, four liquid oxygen-kerosene engines on the rocket's first stage roared with dazzling flames at 10:25 pm, and the rocket rose into the night sky from the No 2 launchpad at the new space complex.

晚上10时25分，当大批观众聚集在沿海发射场时，一级火箭上的四个液氧煤油发动机在耀眼的火焰中轰鸣，火箭从新航天发射场的2号发射台升入夜空。

After a short while, two experimental satellites separated from the rocket and entered their preset orbit, marking the success of the launch mission.

过了一会儿，两颗试验卫星与火箭分离，进入预设轨道，标志着发射任务取得成功。

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.

长征十二号运载火箭由上海航天技术研究院研制，是中国航天领域的中坚力量——长征系列的第22位成员，也是正在营运中的第17位成员。

The institute is part of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, which belongs to the State-owned industry conglomerate China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

上海航天技术研究院隶属于国有企业集团中国航天科技集团公司。

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 standard width set in the 1960s due to rail transportation factors.

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