Latest Gaofen satellite launched

With a liftoff weight of 250 metric tons, the rocket is mainly used to send satellites to sun-synchronous orbit. It is capable of transporting satellites with a combined weight of 3 metric tons to orbit 700 kilometers above the earth.

China launched the Gaofen program in May 2010 and listed it as one of its 16 important national projects in science and technology. The program has established a space-based, high-resolution Earth observation network with dozens of Gaofen satellites in service.

Images and data from have been widely used in more than 20 industries and have helped reduce the country's dependence on foreign remote-sensing services, the space administration said.