A Long March-3B rocket successfully sent test satellite Shijian-25 into space Tuesday morning, marking China's first rocket launch in 2025.
The Long March-3B is China's first carrier rocket series to complete 100 launches, having served the construction of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and China's lunar exploration program.
Mainly used to launch high-orbit spacecraft and satellites, the Long March-3B rockets will serve more than 10 major space missions this year, including asteroid exploration.
The Long March-3B rocket carrying the Shijian-25 test satellite blasted off at 04:00 Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, bringing the payload into the preset orbit later.
The satellite is primarily used for the verification of satellite fuel replenishment and life extension service technologies, according to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the Shijian-25's developer.
The launch marked the 555th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets.
"The Tuesday launch is the first mission of China's Long March series carrier rockets in 2025. The relevant teams dedicated to this rocket model have taken more than 40 strict measures to make full-scale preparations and ensure a complete success of the launch mission," said Qin Yi, an official of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Long March-3B rocket mission marks first launch of new year
Long March-3B rocket mission marks first launch of new year
President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung has expressed his hope that his upcoming visit to China will help eliminate past misunderstandings and issues, underscoring the importance of ties between the two countries.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee acknowledged the existing misunderstandings and issues between the two countries, noting that addressing these issues is a key goal of his visit.
"The current international landscape is turbulent, with escalating issues among various countries. In this context, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and China holds significant importance for us. the ROK and China are deeply interconnected in many areas, including history, economy, geopolitics, politics and security. Northeast Asia's peace, stability, mutual respect, and common prosperity are crucial for both countries," said Lee.
"Admittedly, there have been some misunderstandings and issues between the ROK and China, which have hindered the development of bilateral relations to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of my upcoming visit to China is to minimize or eliminate these past issues, foster a leap in our bilateral relations to a new level, and solidify the ROK and China as partners that mutually support each other's development," he said.
ROK President hopes to reduce misunderstandings with China during upcoming visit
