China launches final rocket of the year into orbit

China launched a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province early on Thursday morning, marking the completion of the country's annual launch schedule.

The rocket blasted off at 12:43 am and carried an experimental satellite, named Communication Technology Demonstrator 9, into a geosynchronous orbit, according to a statement published by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.

It was the 48th flight of the Long March rocket family and the 55th of China's launch vehicle fleet in 2021.

Developed by the company's China Academy of Space Technology, the satellite is tasked with verifying multiband, high-speed satellite communication technologies, the statement said.

By now, the Long March rocket fleet has carried out more launches than any other rocket family in the world. All the Long March flights this year were successful.

Consequently, China is expected to fulfill more space missions than any other spacefaring nation this year. The United States launched 45 rockets this year, ranking second in the global list of rocket liftoffs.

China was the world's top rocket launcher in 2018 and 2019, with 39 and 34 flights, respectively. Last year, it launched 39 rockets, second to the 44 launched by the US.