China launches three new satellites on Long March rocket

China has successfully launched three new satellites into space, marking the 608th mission of its Long March rocket series.

A Long March 2C carrier rocket lifted off at 12:01 pm Beijing time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Northwest China on November 19, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media.

The rocket deployed the Shijian-30A, Shijian-30B, and Shijian-30C satellites into their designated orbits.

The satellites are primarily intended for space environment observation and technology testing, according to Chinese officials.

China’s Long March rocket family has formed the backbone of its space programme for decades. The Long March‑2 series — including the 2C used in this mission — traces its design lineage to China’s early ballistic missiles. 

The three newly launched satellites belong to China’s Shijian (“practice/experiment”) series — a long‑running satellite programme focused on in-orbit testing and technology verification. 

Shijian satellites have carried out a variety of missions, from reusable, returnable test platforms (like Shijian‑19, which returned to Earth with biological and technology‑testing payloads). 

Some Shijian missions aim at cutting-edge capabilities: for example, Shijian-25 (launched earlier this year) is explicitly tasked with testing on‑orbit refuelling and mission-extension technologies. Such experiments signal China’s ambition to prolong the life of its satellites and reduce costs of future space operations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev