Posted: Fri, Jul 9, 2021, 7:02 PM ET (2302 GMT)
China launched a data relay satellite Tuesday, its third launch in four days. A Long March 3C lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 11:53 am EDT (1553 GMT) and successfully placed the Tianlian-1 (05) satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Tianlian satellites handle communications for Chinese satellites in low and medium Earth orbits, as well as the new Chinese space station. The launch was China’s 22nd of 2021, including one failure of a commercial rocket.

Related Links:

•  SpaceNews article
•  Space.com article
•  Xinhua article