China launchs new satellite for environmental research and experiments

China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket to send a multitasking satellite into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday (Sept. 21) morning, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The State-owned space contractor said in a news release that the rocket blasted off at 7:15 am at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert and transported the Yunhai 1-03 satellite into its preset orbit.

The satellite is tasked with surveying atmospheric, marine and space environments, providing data to support disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, and carrying out scientific experiments, it noted.

The Long March 2D rocket is propelled by liquid propellants and has a liftoff thrust of 300 metric tons. It is capable of sending spacecraft with a combined weight of 1.3 tons to a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude of 700 kilometers.

Both the satellite and rocket were designed and built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.

The launch was the 438th mission of the Long March rocket fleet and China's 38th space mission this year. The country has planned to conduct more than 60 launches in 2022.