In the first of a series of space launches planned by China this year a remote sensing satellite was successfully launched and put into preset oribt?Thursday morning.?

The Remote Sensing Satellite No.1 blast off atop a Long March 4-B carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province?at 6:48 AM Thursday.

An official with the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a major developer of both? satellite and carrier rocket, said the 2.7-ton satellite would be mainly used for scientific experiment, survey of land resources, appraisal of crops and disaster prevention and alleviation.

"China has made a good start in space launches this year," he said. "That's a nice gift for the 50th anniversary of the founding of China's spaceflight program," he said.

He revealed China will launch several communication satellites and scientific experiment satellites this year.

Thursday's launch marks China's 47th successful space launch in a row since October 1996 and the 89th mission of the Long March series of carrier rockets.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2006)