China's Smart Dragon-3 rocket launches 9 satellites from sea

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

YANGJIANG, Guangdong, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday launched a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from the sea, sending nine satellites into planned orbit.

The rocket blasted off at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center conducted the offshore launch.

It was the 3rd flight mission to use an SD-3 rocket, said the center.

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)

A Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket carrying nine satellites blasts off from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, a city in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 3, 2024. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center launched the rocket at 11:06 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Saturday. The nine satellites were successfully sent into planned orbit. (Photo by An Di/Xinhua)