China's rocket modified with solid strap-on boosters makes maiden flight

TAIYUAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A modified version of the Long March-6 carrier rocket with solid strap-on boosters made its maiden flight on Tuesday, sending two satellites into planned orbit.

The rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province at 5:50 p.m. (Beijing Time).

The modified rocket is China's first type of carrier rocket equipped with solid strap-on boosters. It uses non-toxic and non-polluting propellants and can send satellites to the sun-synchronous orbit.

One of the two satellites launched by the rocket will carry out scientific test and research, land and resources survey and other tasks. The other will carry out verification of space environment detection technology test.

It was the 412th mission of the Long March rocket series.