China launches remote sensing satellite group

China launched a Long March 6A carrier rocket on Thursday afternoon at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province to deploy a group of remote-sensing satellites, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.

The State-owned conglomerate said in a statement that the rocket blasted off at 4:46 pm and then successfully placed the Yaogan 40D satellites into their orbits. It was China's 670th flight mission of the Long March fleet.

Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of CASC, the satellites are the fourth group in the Yaogan 40 series and are tasked with conducting electromagnetic environmental monitoring and related technology tests, the statement said.

The Long March 6A rocket model is a medium-lift launch vehicle, consisting of a 50-meter, liquid-propelled core booster and four solid-fuel side boosters. The model has a liftoff weight of 530 metric tons and is tasked with transporting satellites to multiple types of orbit, including sun-synchronous, low-Earth, and intermediate circular orbit.