China sends six satellites into orbit through its ZQ commercial rocket

Jiuquan, May 17 -- A commercial rocket lifted off on Saturday in northwest China, successfully sending six satellites into space. The rocket, coded ZQ-2E Y2, blasted off at 12:12 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

It is a modified variant of the ZQ-2 model developed by the Beijing-headquartered private rocket maker LandSpace.

ZQ is short for Zhuque (Vermilion bird). It is one of the four spirits of ancient Chinese mythology, representing fire and controlling the southerly direction.

The modified ZQ-2 boasts that it has adopted a dual-cryogenic liquid propellant system, featuring a high-thrust engine powered by both liquid oxygen and methane, the latter...