A Long March-3B rocket successfully sent test satellite Shijian-25 into space Tuesday morning, marking China's first rocket launch in 2025.
The Long March-3B is China's first carrier rocket series to complete 100 launches, having served the construction of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and China's lunar exploration program.
Mainly used to launch high-orbit spacecraft and satellites, the Long March-3B rockets will serve more than 10 major space missions this year, including asteroid exploration.
The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Shijian-25 test satellite blasted off at 04:00 Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, bringing the payload into the preset orbit later.
The satellite is primarily used for the verification of satellite fuel replenishment and life extension service technologies, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Shijian-25's developer.
The launch marked the 555th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets.
"The Tuesday launch is the first mission of China's Long March series carrier rockets in 2025. The relevant teams dedicated to this rocket model have taken more than 40 strict measures to make full-scale preparations and ensure a complete success of the launch mission," said Qin Yi, an official of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Long March-3B rocket mission marks first launch of new year
Long March-3B rocket mission marks first launch of new year
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region on Tuesday morning, killing 126 people and injuring 188 others, according to figures released at 19:00 on Tuesday.
The earthquake hit Dingri County in the city of Xigaze at 09:05 on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in the county's Tsogo Township.
Rescue forces from different emergency services have rescued 407 trapped people, set up 14 relocation and resettlement sites, and relocated and resettled more than 30,400 people affected by the disaster.
Municipal-level hospitals in the region are currently treating 28 critically injured patients.
Twenty four medical rescue teams with 568 people and 106 ambulances were dispatched to the region to carry out transfer and treatment work, with all those requiring treatment admitted to hospital.
More than 5,800 pieces of relief supplies, including cotton tents, cotton clothes and quilts, urgently allocated by the National Disaster Reduction Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration arrived at the quake-stricken area on Tuesday night, with 16,000 more pieces of relief supplies expected to be delivered on Wednesday.
More than 170,000 pieces of urgently needed supplies including tents, beds, quilts, blankets, warm clothing, heating equipment, emergency lightning, and food and water were also urgently dispatched to the affected area.
The region's emergency command center on Tuesday also raised the earthquake emergency response to level I, the highest level.
Death toll rises to 126 in 6.8-magnitude Xizang quake
