China launches first satellites after manned space flight

BEIJING (AFP) Oct 21, 2003
China Tuesday launched two satellites from the northern Taiyuan Launch Center aboard a Long March 4-B carrier rocket, state press reported.

The Sino-Brazilian earth resources satellite and a small communication satellite belonging to the China Academy of Sciences were sent up at 11:16 am (0316 GMT) from the center in northern Shanxi province, Xinhua news agency reported.

The launch was China's first since Shenzhou V, the nation's first manned space flight, returned safely to earth last Thursday after a 21-hour flight that orbited the earth 14 times.

SPACE.WIRE