China’s private satellite-carrying rocket fails after launch

BEIJING — China’s first attempt to deploy a privately developed rocket capable of carrying a satellite has failed.

Beijing-based Landspace said that the first and second stage of its ZQ-1 rocket worked normally on Saturday but something went wrong with the third stage.

The ZQ-1 was the first three-stage rocket built by a private company in China. A smaller private rocket was launched in May.

Video posted by a Chinese news site showed Landspace’s 19-meter- (62-foot-) tall red-and-white rocket lifting off against clear blue skies.