China deploys four satellites into orbit

China successfully launched a CERES-1 commercial carrier rocket from offshore waters near Shandong Province on May 19, placing four new satellites into their designated orbit.

The rocket lifted off at 3:38 p.m. Beijing time (11:38 a.m. GMT+4), carrying a payload of four satellites belonging to the Tianqi constellation, a network designed to support low-Earth orbit communication services, Caliber.Az reports per Chinese media.

The launch was conducted by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre.

The Tianqi 34-37 communications satellites successfully reached their planned orbit. They will join an already operational orbital constellation of similar spacecrafts.

The Ceres series lightweight launch vehicle, built by China's Galactic Energy, is designed to launch payloads of up to 400kg into orbit. It reaches a height of 19 metres, a diameter of 1.4 metres and a launch mass of 30 tonnes. This is the 20th launch for Ceres rockets, one of which was unsuccessful.

By Sabina Mammadli