LandSpace ZQ 2E-Y1 rocket launch a success

LandSpace, a Beijing-headquartered private enterprise, made the first flight of a modified variant of its ZQ 2 methane-propelled carrier rocket on Wednesday, transporting two satellites into orbit.

The ZQ 2E-Y1 rocket blasted off at 10 am from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, deploying two experimental satellites into their preset orbit, according to a news release from LandSpace.

The Y1 in the rocket's name signifies that the craft is the first in the ZQ 2E series, while ZQ 2 is the world's first methane-fueled rocket type to reach Earth's orbit. The model has flown three times and two of them were successful.