China's Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket made its debut flight at the Yellow Sea on Friday, sending 14 commercial satellites into orbit.

According to its developer, the new solid-propellant spacecraft has not only provided more capacity options for commercial launches but also advanced the country's development of this type of rocket to a new level.

Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the four-stage SD-3 is the second member of China's Dragon rocket family. Unlike the Long March rockets, the Dragon series is developed in a commercial mode to meet the growing market demand of launching low-orbit small commercial satellites and satellite networks.

It has a total length of 31 meters, with a maximum diameter of 2.65 meters and a weight of 140 tonnes.

Equipped with two fairings with diameters of 3.35 meters and 2.9 meters, the rocket can meet a variety of satellite installation requirements. It is designed for both land and sea launches.