China successfully sent an ocean observation satellite into orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Thursday. A Long March-2C rocket, carrying the satellite HY-1D, lifted off at 2:31 a.m. (Beijing Time).

The satellite was developed by the DFH Satellite Co. Ltd. under the China Academy of Space Technology, which will form China's first satellite constellation for marine civil service together with HY-1C, which was launched in September 2018, and double the current ocean observation data.

The satellite constellation is expected to improve China's capabilities in observing ocean color, coastal resources and ecological environment, and ramp up support for meteorology, agriculture, water conservation and transportation.

The data will be used for resource and environmental surveys, and to facilitate marine disaster prevention and mitigation, sustainable utilization of marine resources, early warning for marine ecology, and environmental protection.

The carrier rocket was produced by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology,  and this launch was the 334th by the Long March rocket series.