A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
WENCHANG, Hainan, July 29 (Xinhua) -- China sent a new data relay satellite into orbit on Wednesday from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan.
The Tianlian III-01 satellite was launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard a Long March-7A carrier rocket. The satellite entered the preset orbit successfully.
Tianlian III-01 is primarily used to provide data relay and TT&C (telemetry, tracking, and command) services for crewed spacecraft such as spaceships, space laboratories and space stations, as well as for medium- and low-Earth-orbit resource satellites.
The launch marked the 659th mission of the Long March series carrier rockets. ■
This long-exposure photo taken on July 29, 2026 shows a Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasting off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Meng Zhongde/Xinhua)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
This long-exposure photo taken on July 29, 2026 shows a Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasting off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
A Long March-7A carrier rocket carrying the Tianlian III-01 satellite blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2026. Launched at 7:50 p.m. (Beijing Time) aboard the rocket, the satellite entered the preset orbit successfully. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
