On Monday morning China launched a new remote sensing satellite "Yaogan III".

The satellite was launched from a Long March-4C carrier rocket lifting off at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province at 6:48 AM, Beijing Time.

It entered preset orbit 21 minutes later.

The 2,700-kilogram satellite will be used for scientific research, land resources surveying, crop yield estimates and disaster prevention and relief.

Both the satellite and the carrier rocket were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The launch was the 104th mission of China's Long March rocket series that first began in April 24, 1970 when a Long March-1 rocket successfully sent China's first satellite Dongfanghong-1 into space.

On Oct. 24, a Long March 3A carrier rocket successfully sent China's first lunar probe Chang'e-1 into space.

The "Yaogan I"satellite was also launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center on April 27, 2006. The "Yaogan II" was launched on May 25, 2007 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2007)