Journalist Echo Huang of the Quartz infosite is reporting that, after two Chinese private companies failed to launch a rocket into orbit, their third attempt has been successful.

Beijing-based Interstellar Glory Space Technology (also known as iSpace) launched a rocket into orbit on July 25 at approximately 1:10 p.m. local time from Jiuquan, a state launch facility in the Gobi desert — that made it the first private Chinese space company to launch a rocket into orbit.

The three-year-old firm launched a 20-meter-tall (65 feet) rocket called Hyperbola-1. It weighs 31 metric tons (34 tons), and consists of three solid-propellant stages and a fourth liquid-propellant stage.

The launch of Hyperbola-1. Photo is courtesy of iSpace.

The Hyperbola-1 is designed to have a payload of 300 kilograms (660 lbs.) in LE, and 150 kg. (330 lbs.) in orbits of 700 kilometers (430 miles).

Echo Huang

LandSpace and OneSpace, two other private companies, failed to launch a rocket into orbit in October and March, respectively. The failure of those launches is creating uncertainty over China’s private space industry, as multiple companies compete to enter the launch market for small commercial satellites. The government called for private investment in the sector in 2014, but so far no company has been able to launch a rocket into orbit.

It’s unclear how much it cost for iSpace to build the rocket. Chinese state-owned automaker Changan’s passenger car brand Oushang said it would sponsor the launch, but didn’t specify the amount.

To read the entire article by journalist Echo Huang, please access this direct infolink...