Continuing its space buildup, China on Tuesday sent at least ninesatellites into space, official media said.
The satellites from the Jilin-1 Gaofen 03-1 group took off from the YellowSea at 9:23 am (0123 GMT), Xinhua News reported.
The indigenously-built Long March-11 carrier rocket was used for thelaunch, a first from the sea.
Last week, China sent an observation satellite, Gaofen-11 02, into theorbit through a Long March-4B carrier rocket. It will be used for mappingefforts in China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative.
With its expanded space work including the launch of satellites, China iscloser to completing its own space station.
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It plans to inaugurate its large modular space station this year, whichwill be placed into low orbit.
It will be roughly one-fifth of the mass of the International Space Stationand about the size of the decommissioned Russian Mir space station.
