China launches space experiment satellite

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-10 02 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 29, 2022. (Photo by Hu Xujie/Xinhua)

XICHANG, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday launched a Long March-3B carrier rocket, using it to place a new experiment satellite in space.

The rocket blasted off at 12:43 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China and carried the Shiyan-10 02 satellite to a preset orbit.

A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying the Shiyan-10 02 satellite blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 29, 2022. (Photo by Hu Xujie/Xinhua)

Shiyan means "experiment" in Chinese. The newly launched Shiyan satellite will be used for in-orbit verification of new space technologies, such as space environment monitoring.

It was the 458th flight mission to use a Long March series rocket.