China launches new remote sensing satellites

China launched a new group of remote sensing satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province on Sunday.

A modified Long March-6 rocket, carrying the satellites of the Yaogan-40 03 group, blasted off at 12:34 a.m., sending the satellites into their preset orbits.

The satellites will be mainly used to conduct electromagnetic environment detection and related technical tests.

The modified Long March-6 carrier rocket, developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, can carry payloads of no less than 6.5 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

It is designed to meet diverse and intensive launch requirements for both single and multiple satellites in tandem, parallel, stacked, wall-mounted and piggyback configurations.

The launch marked the 593rd mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.