China launches CBERS-4 satellite

China Sunday launched a CBERS-4 earth-resource satellite from its Taiyuan launch centre in Shanxi province atop a Long March-4B rocket.

Beijing: China on Sunday launched a CBERS-4 earth-resource satellite from its Taiyuan launch centre in Shanxi province atop a Long March-4B rocket.

The rocket, which blasted off at 11.26 a.m., lifted the earth resource satellite into its scheduled orbit, according to the Taiyuan satellite launch centre, Xinhua reported.

CBERS-4 is one of the satellites of the Chinese-Brazilian Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) programme which began in 1988. And it was the 200th flight for the Long March rocket family.

Such satellites are used for monitoring, planning and management of land, forestry, water conservation, environmental protection and agriculture.

Sunday's mission was the 200th flight for the Long March series of rockets since April 24, 1970 when a Long March-1 carried China's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into space.