(Yicai Global) March 28 -- A rocket developed by a private Chinese company failed to enter its designated orbit about one minute after launch yesterday, state-backed Technology Daily reported.

This marks the second failed attempt by a private Chinese company to put a satellite into orbit after several suborbital blast-offs. 

LandSpace Technology's Zhuque-1 [Vermilion Bird] rocket that likewise took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwestern Gansu province was also unable to reach its planned track in October. The cause of this second mishap is still under investigation.

The four-stage solid fuel carrier rocket was developed by Beijing-based OneSpace, a leading Chinese private commercial space company. It is the first product in its OS-M series, with which it seeks to offer cost-effective launch services. 

The rocket, which is 18.8 meters long and 1.2 meter wide, weighs 21 tons. It is designed to send a 100-kilogram payload into a sun-aligned orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

Editor: Ben Armour