BEIJING - An experimental satellite launched on Thursday failed to enter its designated orbit after its rocket malfunctioned.

It was the first launch failure to occur in China since August 1996, when a Long March III launch vehicle proved unable to send Chinasat-7, a communications satellite, into orbit.

The latest failure followed on a string of successes China has seen this year in its attempts to send equipment into space and came before the country's first mission to have a space craft rendezvous and dock with a space module in outer space.