Posted: Sat, Apr 8, 2023, 9:29 AM ET (1329 GMT)
Space Pioneer has become the first Chinese private launch firm to achieve orbit with a liquid propellant rocket. The company's Tianlong-2 rocket launched Sunday at 4:48 am EDT (0848 GMT) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, placing into sun-synchronous orbit a small experimental remote sensing satellite called Ai Taikong Kexue ("love space science"). The three-stage Tianlong-2 is capable of placing up to 2,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Space Pioneer, formally named Beijing Tianbing Technology Co., Ltd., has raised more than $400 million since its founding in 2018. It is working on a larger rocket, Tianlong-3, with a reusable first stage.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Space.com article
•  Xinhua article