China’s first privately-built space rocket has failed to make it to orbit after something “abnormal” happened during the third stage of lift-off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Saturday.
Beijing-based ‘LandSpace’ was the first private company in China to build a three-stage rocket. They said the first and second stage of its Zhuque-1 (ZQ-1) rocket launch went off without a hitch, but something went terribly wrong in the third and final stage.
“I f the launch mission can go well, the ZQ-1 will become China’s first private carrier rocket that can send satellites into space,” said LandSpace CEO Zhang Changwu ahead of the groundbreaking launch, which followed nine months of development.
Video footage of the disastrous rocket launch shows the 19-meter-tall (62 ft) spacecraft lifting off into clear blue skies. It was reportedly carrying a satellite for the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, with a takeoff weight of 27 tons and a thrust of 45 tons. It cost a reported $14 million to develop.
