China launches land exploration satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre

China on Sunday launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit, designed for remote sensing exploration of land resources.

The satellite was launched on a Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China's northern Gobi Desert at 12:11 PM (local time), state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The satellite is mainly used for remote sensing exploration of land resources, the report said.

The launch was the 257th mission of the Long March rocket series. 

China on November 25 had successfully launched remote sensing satellites designed to conduct electromagnetic probes and other experiments.

The satellites were launched on a Long March-2C rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwestern Sichuan province.