China launches satellite to explore near-Earth space environment

China has launched a satellite into planned orbit for space environment study, Report informs referring to CGTN.

The satellite was carried by a Long March-4B rocket departing from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.

The satellite, the third of the Shiyan-6 series, was launched at 7:01 a.m. (local time).

It will be used to carry out space environment survey and experiments on related technologies.

The Long March-4B carrier rocket is a three-stage carrier rocket powered with liquid fuel under normal temperature.

The rocket is capable of launching various types of satellites to different orbits, and can launch multiple satellites in single flight. It can carry a payload of up to 2.5 tons to a sun-synchronous circular orbit.

April 9 launch was the 365th by the Long March rocket series.