China makes first launch of state-of-the-art CZ-8 rocket

The launch took place from the Wenchang Cosmodrome. There were five satellites on board the rocket

China carried out the first successful launch of its state-of-the-art CZ-8 launch vehicle with five satellites on board on Tuesday, TASS reported quoting China Central Television.

“The launch took place from the Wenchang launch site (southern Hainan province) at 12:37 local time. Fifteen minutes later, the rocket reached heliosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 512km. There, five satellites separated from it: one experimental vehicle and four private probes”, –  the statement said.