China places geological survey satellite in orbit

China placed a multirole satellite in space on Tuesday afternoon, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The state-owned space conglomerate said in a news release that the Tianhui 7 satellite was transported to orbit by a Long March 4B rocket that blasted off at 12:12 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Made by the China Academy of Space Technology, the satellite is tasked with conducting geological surveys, land resources investigations, and scientific experiments, the company said.

The Long March 4B rocket model is built by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. It can transport multiple satellites with a combined weight of 2.5 metric tons to a typical sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers.

The launch marked the 92nd space mission in China and the 622nd flight of the Long March rocket fleet.