China launches three remote-sensing satellites

China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket Thursday afternoon to transport three remote-sensing satellites into space, the nation's dominant space contractor said.

The rocket lifted off at 3:36 pm at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province and placed the Yaogan-39 satellites into their preset orbit, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. said in a news release.

The satellites were jointly developed by the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. They will be used for remote sensing operations, which involve detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance.