¡¡¡¡TAIYUAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- China and Brazil will join hands in putting two more earth resources satellites into orbit by around 2010, a Chinese space official said on Tuesday.

¡¡¡¡Sun Laiyan, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said both sides will share the costs equally for developing and producing the satellites, citing an agreement the two countries signed late last year.

¡¡¡¡The official made the remarks after a Chinese rocket carried anearth resources satellite developed by the two countries and a Chinese-made small communications satellite into separate orbits on Tuesday.

¡¡¡¡Space officials said the satellite is more reliable than the first one which was developed by the two countries and launched on Oct. 14., 1999 from the same launch center.

¡¡¡¡Sun described the successful launch in 1999 as a milestone for both China and Brazil as it was the fruit of 13 years of efforts by experts from the two countries.

¡¡¡¡The first satellite has outlived its planned two-year service term and is still in operational orbit.

¡¡¡¡According to an agreement signed by the two countries, Brazil was responsible for the development of a CCD imaging system in the satellite, while China was responsible for the application platform and two other payloads.

¡¡¡¡The second Resources No. 1 satellite was designed to monitor earth's land resources changes, survey arable lands and grasslands, monitor natural and human disasters, offer information on aquatic farming and environmental pollution, and explore mineral resources.

¡¡¡¡The resources satellite, 1,550 kg in weight with a designed service life of two years, was developed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology in cooperation with the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research.

¡¡¡¡China bore 70 percent of the costs of the resources satellites the two countries developed, while Brazil bore 30 percent, according to an agreement the two countries signed in 1986. Enditem

Long March rockets on par with world's advanced level: expert

¡¡¡¡TAIYUAN, Oct. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- China's successful launch of two satellites on Tuesday indicates the country is on a par with the world's advanced level in terms of rocket technology and aerospace management, according to an aerospace expert.

¡¡¡¡China's Long March IV B carried the second Earth resources satellite developed jointly by China and Brazil and another China-made small satellite into different preset orbits.

¡¡¡¡Zhang Qingwei, general manager of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., said it was China's 30th consecutive success in launching the Long March rocket series since October 1996.

¡¡¡¡With 103,000 employees, the aerospace corporation is the manufacturer of China's Long March launch vehicles, including the Long March II F rocket that put China's first manned spacecraft inspace.

¡¡¡¡Zhang, also deputy commander of China's Manned Spaceflight Program, said stringent management contributed to the consecutive launch successes over the past seven years.

¡¡¡¡The three-stage Long March IV B carrier rocket has a diameter of 3.35 meters with a lift-off mass of 250 tons. Enditem