Two satellites for space environment exploration were successfully launched by China into space Tuesday morning being transported by a Long March-4B carrier rocket. 

   
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 carrier rocket 11 minutes after launch with Satellite B following approximately one minute later. Both successfully entered preset orbits.
   
The two satellites, which form Group-02 of Shijian (practice)-VI 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 design life of over two years.
   
The main objective for these latest satellites is to replace the two Shijian-VI satellites launched in September, 2004, to undertake exploration of space environment, to study the influence of radiation in space, the parameters of the physical environment and to carry out related experiments.
   
The carrier rocket used in Tuesday's launch was developed and manufactured by the SAST. The launch marked the 92nd flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets and the 50th consecutive successful launch of the rockets since October 1996.
   
In 1981 China became only the fourth country in the world equipped to launch more than one satellite at the same time with just one carrier rocket. 

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2006)