China sends Tiantong 1-02 satellite into orbit

China launched a Long March 3B carrier rocket on Thursday night to deploy a communication satellite into space, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.

The rocket blasted off at 11:59 pm at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, transporting the Tiantong 1-02 to a geosynchronous orbit.

Tiantong 1-02 is the second satellite in the Tiantong 1 system, which was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and consists of space-based assets, ground facilities as well as user terminals.

Tiantong 1 is part of China's space-based information infrastructure and is the country's answer to the Inmarsat network. Its service is helping China break foreign companies' dominance in this field, the company said in a statement on Friday.