China successfully launched its "Remote Sensing Satellite No.1" and put it into preset orbit Thursday morning, the first of a series of space launches planned by China this year.

The Remote Sensing Satellite No. 1 blast off atop a Long March 4-B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi Province at 6:48 a.m. Thursday.

Weighted 2,700 kg, the satellite is chiefly used in the fields of scientific experiment, national land resources survey, estimation of crop yield and disaster prevention and relief.

"China has made a good start in space launch this year. That's a nice gift for the 50th anniversary of the founding of China's spaceflight program," said an official with the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a major developer of both the satellite and the rocket.

He revealed China will launch several communication satellites and scientific experiment satellites this year.

Thursday's launch marks China's 47th successful space launch in a row since October 1996 and the 89th mission of Long March series of carrier rockets.

By People's Daily Online/Xinhua