China launches satellite for Egypt

China launched a remote-sensing satellite on Monday for Egypt, marking a new milestone in nations' space cooperation, according to the China National Space Administration.

The MisrSat 2 satellite was lifted by a Long March 2C carrier rocket that blasted off at 12:10 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.

Designed and built by Aerospace Dongfanghong, a subsidiary of the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, the spacecraft is a small optical remote-sensing satellite tasked with obtaining data for Egypt's land and water resources development and agricultural operations, the CNSA said in a news release after the launch.

Remote-sensing satellites refer to those used for observing, surveying and measuring objects on land or at sea, as well as for monitoring weather.