XICHANG, July 27 -- China launched a Long March-2D carrier rocket on Thursday to place a remote sensing satellite group composed of three satellites in space.

The three satellites of the Yaogan-36 family were launched at 04:02 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan and entered the preset orbit.

This mission is the 480th flight of the Long March carrier rockets.