A new communication technology experiment satellite is launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 7, 2020. The satellite will be used in communication, radio, television and data transmission, as well as high throughput technology test. (Photo by Guo Wenbin/Xinhua)

 
China sent four new technology experiment satellites into planned orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday.

The satellites, launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket at 5:07 a.m. (Beijing Time), will be mainly used for the new Earth-observation technology experiment.

The carrier rocket and two of the satellites were developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the other two satellites were respectively developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology and the DFH Satellite Co. Ltd.

Thursday's launch was the 326th mission of the Long March rocket series.