China successfully launched two satellites into space with a Long March-4B carrier rocket early Tuesday morning.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

     TAIYUAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched two satellites for space environment exploration into space with a Long March-4B carrier rocket Tuesday morning.

    They were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi province at 7:34 am.

    Satellite A was detached from the rocket after 11 minutes of take-off, followed by the detachment of Satellite B about one minute later. Both have successfully entered preset orbits.

    The two satellites, which form Group-02 of Shijian (practice)-6 satellites, were manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and DFH (Dongfanghong, or The East is Red) Satellite Co., Ltd. respectively. Both have a designed life of more than two years.

    They will mainly replace the two Shijian-6 satellites launched on Sept. 9, 2004, to conduct exploration of space environment, radiation in space and their influence, parameters of physical environment of the space, and carry out other related space experiments.

    The carrier rocket used in Tuesday's launch was developed and manufactured by the SAST. The launch marked the 92nd flight of Long March series of carrier rockets and the 50th consecutive successful launch of such rockets since October 1996.

    In 1981 China became the fourth country in the world to be able to launch more than one satellite at the same time with just one rocket. China has succeeded in such launching for many times since then.

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