China launches two satellites with one rocket 

Source: Xinhuanet

10-24-2006 13:26

China successfully launched two satellites into space with a Long March-4B carrier rocket early Tuesday morning.(Xinhua Photo)

TAIYUAN, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched two satellites for space environment exploration into space with a Long March-4B carrier rocket Tuesday morning.

They were launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi province at 7:34 am.

Satellite A was detached from the rocket after 11 minutes of take-off, followed by the detachment of Satellite B about one minute later. Both have successfully entered preset orbits.

The two satellites, which form Group-02 of Shijian (practice)-6 satellites, were manufactured by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) and DFH (Dongfanghong, or The East is Red) Satellite Co., Ltd. respectively. Both have a designed life of more than two years.