Private Chinese rocket maker launches 7 satellites

Galactic Energy, a private rocket maker in Beijing, on Thursday, carried out the seventh flight mission of its CERES 1 rocket to deploy seven satellites into orbit.

The CERES 1 Y7 rocket blasted off at 12:03 pm at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert and placed the satellites into their preset orbits, the company said in a news release.

The Y7 in the rocket's designation code means that the rocket was the seventh of its type.