Posted: Sat, Feb 3, 2018, 5:55 PM ET (2255 GMT)

China launched an earthquake science satellite and six secondary payloads early Friday. A Long March 2D lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 2:51 am EST (0751 GMT) and placed the Zhangheng-1 satellite into orbit. The spacecraft, also known as the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite, is designed to observe any electromagnetic precursors to earthquakes. The rocket also carried two satellites for Satellogic, an Earth-observation company based in Argentina; two technology demonstration satellites built by GomSpace, one of which carries a payload for ESA; and two Chinese cubesats.