The first rocket sent into space by a private Chinese company has failed mid-launch.

The 62 foot tall (19 metre) Zhuque-1 carrier rocket, which cost a private company around $14million (£10million) to develop, failed to reach earth's orbit.

It took off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north west China on Saturday.

The Beijing based company Landspace developed a carrier rocket to take satellites up to space to orbit the earth.

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The Zhuque-1 rocket, carrying a satellite, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in north west China on Saturday

The rocket was three stage, meaning it had another two rockets inside to reach outer space, but the company said something went wrong with the second stage.

It was designed to send a Weila-1 satellite named 'Future' into space for the country's state broadcaster, CCTV News.

Landscape said: '[The rocket] separation was normal but something abnormal happened after the second stage.'

The Beijing based company Landspace developed a carrier rocket to take satellites up to space to orbit the earth [File photo]

A spokesman for the company said: 'We still believe that building rockets is the right strategy.

'We are the first Chinese private company to build a three-stage carrier rocket.

'That's already a great achievement. We will carry on with our dream for the vast space.'

It privatised parts of the space industry in 2014, allowing private companies to develop small satellites and launch rockets. Landspace was founded a year later.

President Xi Jingping said China could become a 'space flight superpower' with a manned space station in orbit by 2022. Landspace was founded in 2015, the year after it privatised parts of the space industry

At least ten Chinese companies are making their own launch rockets.

President Xi Jingping said China could become a 'space flight superpower' with a manned space station in orbit by 2022.

It is not clear if the company's failure will have an impact on its plans to launch a taller two stage rocket, Zhuque-2, in 2020.

The second rocket was due to be double the size at 157 foot tall (48 metres), and the company had been due to start building this next year.

Landspace would have been the first first private licensed company to send a rocket into outer space, the South African Times reported.