iSpace, a private Chinese launch service provider, made an attempt to Return to Flight (RTF) with their Hyperbola-1 (SQX-1) vehicle on Tuesday August 3. This RTF mission was in response to Hyperbola-1\u2019s second ever mission, which suffered a failure during ascent in February resulting in the loss of the payload and mission.<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s flight attempt marked the vehicle\u2019s third ever launch, and whilst it\u2019s believed the flight progressed further than the previous anomaly, there is a growing consensus that the latter stages of the mission were not successful. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The vehicle took off from Site 95B at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia region of China, with launch occurring at approximately 07:39 UTC. According to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) released prior to launch day, the vehicle pitched south from the launch center, strongly suggesting that this launch was to a polar Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) like the rocket\u2019s previous flights. <\/p>\n
Witnesses captured the vehicle\u2019s liftoff and ascent, both of which appeared to look nominal, with the vehicle soaring through the stage of flight where the last mission failed.<\/p>\n