China claims domestic record with largest satellite launch using single rocket

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Sunday set a new domestic record by sending into space its largest group of satellites aboard a single rocket.

A total of 22 satellites were blasted off into space using a modified version of the Long March-8 rocket that took off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch site in China’s southern Hainan province, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

The satellites will separate in 12 groups and will be “mainly used for commercial remote sensing services, marine environment monitoring, forest fire prevention and disaster mitigation.”

The launch marked the 409th mission of China’s domestically made Long March carrier rockets.

China also launched a new land observation satellite on Sunday.

A Long March-4C rocket was used to launch the satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, Xinhua reported.​​​​​​​

“The satellite will be used to monitor Earth’s geological environment, landslides and earthquakes,” the report added.