Posted: Mon, Apr 19, 2004, 10:18 AM ET (1418 GMT)
A Chinese rocket launched two small technology demonstration satellites late Sunday. The Long March 2C booster lifted off from the Xichang launch center in southwestern China at 11:59 am EDT Sunday (1559 GMT, 11:59 pm Beijing time) and placed the two small satellites into low Earth orbit. The larger of the two satellites, named Experiment Satellite 1, weights 204 kg and carries a camera capable of taking stereo images of the Earth’s surface. The 25-kg Nano-satellite 1, the other satellite launched, will be used for unspecified experiments. The launch was the first Chinese mission of 2004.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  AP article
•  AFP article