China: Space launches continue despite virus pandemic

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, China launched a group of satellites into orbit on Tuesday.

According to Xinhua News Agency, several remote sensing satellites were sent into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China’s southwest Sichuan province.

A Long March-2C carrier rocket took off from the launch center with the satellites at around 11:43 a.m. local time (0343GMT).

The report said the satellites have entered the planned orbits and will be utilized for electromagnetic environment detection and other technological tests.

The launch was the latest in China’s continuing space activities, which have not stopped despite the COVID-19 outbreak that started in the country last December, killing over 3,280 people in China and more than 16,760 across the globe.

Earlier this month, China launched navigation and communications satellites that will be used for navigation of driverless vehicles, accurate berthing of ships, as well as airplane operations.

In February, it launched four technology experiment satellites in a single rocket launch, while an optical remote sensing satellite was sent into space in January.