China's next generation of environmentally friendly rockets enjoyed a successful debut on Sunday as the Long March 6 (CZ-6) took off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The carrier rocket took along 20 small satellites.

China state media reported that the Long March 6 (CZ-6) rocket was launched at 7:01 a.m. (Beijing Time). The 20 satellites detached from the rocket - as planned - about 15 minutes after it took off. The small satellites were developed by space research centers and some of the highest ranked universities in China.

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The Long March 6 (CZ-6), which was designed and developed by China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is the first pollution-free space vehicle created in the country.

The low-cost rocket carrier runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen. Not only is the Long March 6 environmentally friendly, it also has a more efficient engine.

"The success of this experiment debut flight is conducive for examining whether we have made breakthroughs in key technologies like the rocket's high thrust, high reliability, and ensuring it is toxin and pollutant free," explained Li Chenggang, China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The Long March 6 (CZ-6) is a light-load carrier rocket. It is capable of taking up to 1,080 kg of cargo to a height of about 700 kilometers in the sun-synchronous orbit.

Next year, China is expected to launch two other pollution-free rockets into space. The Long March 5 and the Long March 7 are designed to carry considerably more cargo than the Long March 6.

The incident-free launch of the Long March 6 goes a long way to propel China's space ambitions. Among other ambitious targets, China plans to build a space center in five years.

Several rockets have been launched in China as researchers step up their space exploration and experimentation to achieve the nation's ambitious goals. The Long March 6 is not the first carrier rocket launched in the country this month.

This past week, two carrier rockets were launched from Sichuan province and China's Gobi Desert. At least one more rocket launch is scheduled to take place before the end of the month.

TagsLong March 6 (CZ-6), China Rocket Launch, China's Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, Long March 5, Long March 7