China launches Lijian-1 rocket, sending 9 satellites into orbit

China successfully launched nine satellites into space from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone in northwest China at 12:03 Sunday (Beijing Time).

The satellites were carried by a Lijian-1 Y18 carrier rocket and have entered their planned orbits.

The launch mission was a complete success, marks the 16th flight of the Lijian-1 carrier rocket.

The Lijian-1, developed by Chinese commercial space company CAS Space, is a solid-fuel carrier rocket featuring rapid-response capabilities.

Twenty crested ibises were released into the wild on Sunday in the Xiaolongshan forest area of northwest China's Gansu Province, marking China's westernmost and highest-altitude release of the species to date.

The birds were bred at the Longmen Forest Farm's crested ibis ecological park in Tianshui, where the population has grown from 20 introduced in 2023 to 50 today. The release marks Gansu's first wild-release effort and a milestone in establishing high-altitude populations of the species.

The release used a "soft release" method, in which the birds were moved to an acclimation cage more than 20 days in advance. The cage is designed to help them gradually adapt to the wild, with food reduced inside and feeding stations set up outside.

The 20 birds were selected after rigorous health and ability checks, including flight, foraging, and predator-avoidance skills. The group includes adult, sub-adult, and young birds to ensure genetic diversity.

The Xiaolongshan forest, located at the western end of the Qinling Mountains, offers a complex habitat of mountains, streams, wetlands, and forests -- ideal for the species.

The release site sits at over 1,500 meters above sea level, posing challenges such as long, cold winters. A monitoring team will track the birds around the clock and intervene if needed.

Conservationists hope the birds will establish a self-sustaining population in the region.