China conducts its first rocket launch of 2022

China launched a Long March 2D carrier rocket on Monday morning, kicking off the country's space program for 2022.

The rocket blasted off at 10:35 am at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China's Shanxi province and soon placed the Shiyan 13 experimental satellite in its preset orbit, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp said in a statement.

This was China's first rocket launch of the year and the 406th mission of the Long March rocket family.

The State-owned space contractor said the mission marked the beginning of its schedule of space missions in 2022, which is expected to include more than 40 launch activities.