China launches new low-orbit internet satellites

China on Monday launched a group of low-Earth orbit internet satellites from a commercial spacecraft launch site in the southern island province of Hainan.

A Long March-12 carrier rocket, carrying the seventh group of low-orbit internet satellites, blasted off at 6:21 p.m. (Beijing Time) and sent the satellite into the preset orbit.

Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Long March-12 rocket is a new-generation two-stage carrier rocket capable of sending payloads of no less than 12 tonnes to a low-Earth orbit and those of no less than 6 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.

The launch marked the second flight mission of the Long March-12 rocket after its maiden flight in last November, and the 587th flight mission of the Long March rocket series.