China expands low-orbit internet network with new launch

China launched a group of internet satellites into space on Sunday afternoon, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country's leading space contractor.

The satellites, built by the China Academy of Space Technology, a Beijing-based subsidiary of the corporation, are the fifth batch of China's low-orbit internet network. They were placed into their preset orbit by a Long March 6A carrier rocket that lifted off at 6:03 pm from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province, the company said.

The previous four batches were launched in December last year, and in February, April and June of this year.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another subsidiary of the corporation, the Long March 6A is a medium-lift launch vehicle. It consists of a 50-meter liquid-propelled core booster and four solid-fuel side boosters. The core booster, 3.35 meters in diameter, is powered by two 120-ton-thrust engines that burn liquid oxygen and kerosene.

With a liftoff weight of 530 metric tons, the rocket is capable of delivering satellites to various orbits, including sun-synchronous, low-Earth and intermediate circular orbit. It can carry payloads weighing more than 4.5 metric tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit 700 kilometers above Earth.

Sunday's mission was China's 39th rocket launch of the year and the 585th flight of the Long March rocket family, the backbone of the country's space transport system.