XICHANG, Aug. 31 -- China launched a Long March-2D carrier rocket on Thursday to place a group of three remote sensing satellites in space.

The three satellites of the Yaogan-39 family were launched at 3:36 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan and entered the planned orbit.

This mission is the 485th flight of the Long March carrier rockets.