300th liftoff a landmark for Long March

More than 30 launches planned this year to lift over 50 spacecraft into orbit

China placed a communications satellite into geostationary orbit on a Long March 3B carrier rocket early Sunday morning, marking the 300th launch of the Long March family.

The 19-story-tall rocket blasted off at 12:28 am at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, ripping apart the night sky with its orange-red flame and echoing thunder, as captured on video published by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp in Beijing, maker of the Long March series.