Chinese commercial rocket suffers failure in latest space mission

• Private space firm Galactic Energy apologizes for 1st CERES-1 Y-19 rocket failure
• China also launches low Earth internet satellites
• Beijing test key module for space manufacturing facility

ISTANBUL

A Chinese commercial rocket failed an attempt to deliver its payload into orbit on Monday.

The carrier rocket, CERES-1 Y-19, failed to complete the delivery of a satellite to space after its engine apparently shut down, its developer told Global Times.

According to the company, the rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 12:02 pm (0402GMT).

While the rocket operated normally during the first three stages, during the fourth, it ignited and burned for nearly 510 seconds before shutting down unexpectedly.

Private space company Galactic Energy apologized for the incident, marking the first failure of the CERES-1 Y-19 rocket.

In a statement, the company said it will conduct a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the error and prepare for a vehicle reset and re-flight.

"We will draw lessons from the mission setback and continue to optimize rocket design and quality-management systems," the company said.

Galactic Energy, one of China's leading private launch providers, has completed roughly 20 successful launches and placed some 85 satellites into orbit to date.

Beijing successfully launches low Earth orbit satellites for internet

China also successfully launched a group of low Earth orbit satellites on Monday from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch in the southern province of Hainan.

The group, which is the 13th of its kind that will constitute an internet constellation, was launched at 10.41 am (0241GMT) aboard a Long March-12 carrier rocket.

The satellites entered their designated orbit, according to state-run Xinhua News.

China to develop space production facility

Separately, in a technological breakthrough, China has recently tested a key module for its planned space production facility as Beijing aims to build large-scale industrial production lines in orbit, South China Morning Post reported on Monday.

Director of the Institute of Mechanics’ Sky Flight Science and Technology Centre Yang Yiqiang, who is also project head, said the technology would propel China’s space manufacturing from “concept verification” to “engineering realization.”

The move follows the 2023 launch by California-based start-up Varda Space Industries of its first satellite, W-Series 1, into orbit, calling it the “world’s first space factory.”