China successfully launched and retrieved a hybrid rocket on Friday for the first time.

The rocket, "Beihang-2", was launched at 3:05 p.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province. The head of the rocket was parachuted to the ground 1.2 km south of the launch site 15 minutes later. The rocket reached an altitude of 3,000 m.

The rocket was 3.417 m long and 0.22 m in diameter. It was designed primarily by 15 undergraduates and postgraduates of the School of Astronautics of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Researchers said this kind of rocket would not explode and had a low cost. The launch was mainly intended to test the performance of the rocket's hybrid engine.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2008)