A Chinese rocket at first sight beat the odds when it launched successfully on its maiden flight (maiden launches have failure rates of circa 50 per cent). The launch of the Ceres-1 (Gushenxing-1) rocket carried the Tianqi-11 communications satellite from the Jiuquan launch site in China at 0711 GMT on 7 November 2020. While ostensibly a brand new rocket, the launch vehicle is actually mainly based on DF-21 missile stages. Galactic Energy of Beijing developed the rocket and has plans for larger liquid fuel reusable types.
Ceres-1 in flight on its maiden launch. Courtesy: YouTube
