Technology 2 min read

China's First Privately Funded Rocket Launch Fails to Reach Orbit

Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock.com

Sergey Nivens / Shutterstock.com

China’s first attempt to send a satellite into space through a privately funded rocket launch mission has failed.

On Saturday, a privately developed Chinese space carrier reportedly failed to reach orbit after lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert.

The rocket launch marks the first-ever attempt by the Beijing-based space company Landspace to send a Chinese rocket into orbit.

Known as the ZhuQue-1, the rocket reportedly had three stages and carried the satellite by the China Central Television Group called ‘Future.’ Landspace announced in a short blog post that an issue with the rocket launch’s third stage resulted in the first and second stages’ failure to reach orbit.

“Before ZhuQue carrier rocket was launched, its mission was already completed,” the company explained. The agency gave no further details about the launch.

Landspace also didn’t indicate if they would be attempting another launch or when it would possibly happen. However, the company has remained optimistic and said that they still consider the launch a success.

China’s Rocket Launch: an Attempt to Compete With International Space Companies

China’s interest in space has grown exponentially over the years. In 2012, President Xi Jinping announced that becoming a “space flight superpower” was one of the government’s top priorities. Since then, China has actively participated in the international space race.

While Landspace was not the first private Chinese company to launch a spacecraft, its recent mission is regarded as the first attempt to reach orbit.

In May and September of this year, OneSpace, another Beijing-based space company, successfully performed two suborbital launches. The two were reportedly just demonstrations and were not intended for orbit.

Before private Chinese space companies entered the rocket launch arena, China’s National Space Administration conducted all space-related missions.

It was only in 2014 that the government allowed private space companies to enter the Chinese space industry. To date, Landspace is still considered to be the most advanced contender in China’s private space marketplace.

Do you think China will ever succeed in its effort to become an international spaceflight superpower?

First AI Web Content Optimization Platform Just for Writers

Found this article interesting?

Let Chelle Fuertes know how much you appreciate this article by clicking the heart icon and by sharing this article on social media.


Profile Image

Chelle Fuertes

Chelle is the Product Management Lead at INK. She's an experienced SEO professional as well as UX researcher and designer. She enjoys traveling and spending time anywhere near the sea with her family and friends.

Comments (0)
Most Recent most recent
You
share Scroll to top

Link Copied Successfully

Sign in

Sign in to access your personalized homepage, follow authors and topics you love, and clap for stories that matter to you.

Sign in with Google Sign in with Facebook

By using our site you agree to our privacy policy.