China launches terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite.

ISLAMABAD -- China successfully launched a terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite and two other satellites from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province Thursday.

The satellites were launched at 11:08 a.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-4B carrier rocket and entered the planned orbit successfully.

The carbon monitoring satellite is mainly used for terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring, the surveying and monitoring of terrestrial ecology and resource, and major national ecological projects monitoring and evaluation, ecns.cn reported.

It will also provide operational support and research services in fields such as environmental protection, surveying and mapping, meteorology, agriculture, and disaster reduction.

The satellite can detect and measure vegetation biomass, atmospheric aerosol and chlorophyll fluorescence by comprehensive remote sensing means such as laser...