China launches remote sensing satellite into space

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Wednesday launched a remote sensing satellite into space.

Long March-2D rocket carried the Beijing-3B satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China’s northern province of Shanxi, state-run Xinhua News reported.

Earlier, China launched the Beijing-3A satellite on June 11, last year.

The satellite, which has entered its preset orbit, “will mainly be used to provide remote sensing services in the fields of land resources management, agricultural resources survey, environment monitoring and city applications,” the report said.

It was the 434th flight mission of China’s indigenously-built Long March rocket series.

The latest launch comes a day after China sent into space its new Chuangxin-16 satellite for scientific experiments and verifying new technologies.

China’s space missions continue unabated even after the US on Tuesday added at least seven of its entities, mostly related to aerospace, to its export control list.

Washington said the Chinese entities were added to export control because of “national security and foreign policy concerns.