China launched a new group of internet satellites from the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site on the southern island province of Hainan on Tuesday.

A Long March-8A rocket, carrying the 18th group of low-orbit internet satellites, blasted off at 11:25 p.m., and has sent them into preset orbit.

The rocket, developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is a liquid-propellant carrier rocket measuring 50.5 meters long.

It has a liftoff weight of about 371 tonnes and a liftoff thrust of about 480 tonnes. It is able to carry up to 7 tonnes to a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km, which can meet the launch requirements for constellation networking in low- and medium-Earth orbit.

The launch marks the 625th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.