Posted: Sat, Aug 7, 2021, 8:57 AM ET (1257 GMT)
A Chinese startup launched a rocket early Tuesday, but the vehicle failed to reach orbit. The Hyperbola-1 four-stage solid-fuel rocket lifted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at around 3:50 am eDT (0750 GMT). Neither the vehicle's developer, iSpace, nor Chinese media initially reported a successful launch, and state media later announced the launch failed to place its payload in orbit. It was the second loss in a row for iSpace, which is one of China's first commercial launch companies and has significant financial backing. The first Hyperbola-1 rocket successfully sent a satellite into orbit in July 2019, but a launch in February failed because of falling foam insulation.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
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•  NASASpaceFlight.com article