China: China successfully launched today a new data relay satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China's Sichuan Province.

According to Qatar News Agency, the satellite Tianlian II-06 was launched aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket and entered its planned orbit.

Tianlian II-06 will be used to provide data relay and telemetry, tracking and command services for crewed spacecraft such as spaceships and space stations, for medium- and low-Earth-orbit resource satellites, and for spacecraft launches.

This was the 658th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.