Carrier rocket Long March 4-B, carrying Remote Sensing Satellite No. 1, blasts off at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province, April 27, 2006. (Photo: Xinhua)

TAIYUAN, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched a remote sensing satellite and put it into preset orbit Thursday morning, the first of a series of space launches planned by China this year.

    The Remote Sensing Satellite No. 1 blast off a top a Long March 4-B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi Province at 6:48 a.m. Thursday.

    An official with the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a major developer of both the satellite and the rocket, said the 2.7-ton satellite will be mainly used for scientific experiment, survey of land resources, appraisal of crops and disaster prevention and alleviation.

    "China has made a good start in space launch this year. That's a nice gift for the 50th anniversary of the founding of China's spaceflight program," he said.

    He revealed China will launch several communication satellites and scientific experiment satellites this year.

    Thursday's launch marks China's 47th successful space launch in a row since October 1996 and the 89th mission of Long March series of carrier rockets. Enditem

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