China launches weather satellite

China has launched a weather satellite on Sunday, marking an upgrade of China's meteorological satellites in geostationary orbit.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the Fengyun-4 satellite, the first of China's second-generation weather satellites in geostationary orbit to have been launched, is also the country's first quantitative remote-sensing satellite in high orbit.

The satellite, launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province, was taken into orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. The launch marked the 242nd mission of China's Long March series of rockets.