First rocket designed by private company launched

Up, up and away: The ‘Chongqing Liangjiang Star’ rocket taking off from a launchpad at an undisclosed location in northwestern China. — Reuters

BEIJING: China has launched its first privately developed rocket from a launchpad in northwestern China, state media said, the latest milestone in the country’s ambitious space exploration programme.

Since coming to office in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has made becoming a “space flight superpower” a top priority for China, which has a goal of sending a permanent manned space station into orbit by around 2022.