Data relay satellite launched

China launched the first of its new-generation data relay satellites on Sunday night as part of the preparations for the nation's next manned space missions.

The Tianlian II-01 lifted off at 11:51 pm atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, and it soon achieved geostationary transfer orbit about 36,000 kilometers above Earth, said the China Academy of Space Technology - the developer and builder of the satellite.

The spacecraft is the first in China's second generation of data relay satellites, the academy said, adding that its service will substantially improve the country's space-based data relay capability.