A Long March 2D carrier rocket carrying Chuangxin 1-03 and Shiyan Satellite 4 blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gansu Province, Nov. 20, 2011. The launch was the 151th of China's Long March series of rockets. The Chuangxin 1-03 will be used to collect and relay hydrological, meteorological, and electric power data as well as data for disaster relief. The Shiyan Satellite 4 will be used for space technology experiments and environmental observation. Read more
China today launched two satellites, days after successfully docking two space modules in outer space for the first time as part of its ambitious plans to build its own space station by 2020. The satellites, named Chuangxin 1-03 and Shiyan Satellite 4, were launched into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gansu Province by the Long March 2D carrier rocket. Read more