New batch of Chinese internet satellites reaches orbit

China launched a group of internet satellites into orbit on Wednesday afternoon, marking the fourth in-orbit deployment of such spacecraft in a month.

The satellites are the eighth group of low-orbit hardware in China's state-owned internet network. They were lifted by a Long March 5B heavy-lift carrier rocket at 2:43 pm from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, a coastal spaceport in Hainan province, and soon arrived in their orbital positions, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., the maker of both the rocket and the satellites.

The fifth group was launched on July 27, the sixth on July 30, and the seventh on Aug. 4.

Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the Long March 5B model is 53.7 meters long, with a core-stage diameter of 5 meters. The rocket is propelled by liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and kerosene, and has a liftoff weight of about 849 tons.

The rocket model is the most powerful Chinese launch vehicle in terms of carrying capacity to low-Earth orbit.

Wednesday's launch mission was China's 45th rocket launch this year and also marked the 588th flight of the Long March rocket family, the backbone of the country's space transport fleet.