China has launched a new telecommunication technology test satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in South-West China.

Launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket, the satellite will help the country to expand its space programmes.

This year, China is planning to launch 30 new satellites aboard Long March 5 and Long March 7 launch vehicles, as announced by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

"Launched aboard a Long March 3B carrier rocket, the satellite will help the country to expand its space programmes."

Last November, the country conducted a test launch of the Long March 5, which is China’s largest carrier rocket, reported Tecake.

The country has also recently unveiled an official white paper that mentions its plan to launch a lunar probe by next year. Once launched, it will be the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the Moon.

The white paper also features China’s plan for a mission to Mars in 2018, reported Xinhua.

It is also reported that the country intends to launch a satellite that will test multi-frequency high-speed data transmission aboard a Long March3B rocket.

Last month, China launched the Fengyun-4-01 (FY-4-01) next-generation weather satellite from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.