China successfully launched the Ziyuan III satellite on Monday from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi province.

This mission marks the 156th flight of China's Long March series of carrier rockets.

The civilian use satellite of a high-resolution remote-sensing facility was launched at 11:17 a.m. aboard a Long March 4B rocket, according to a statement from the centre.

The satellite, weighing 2,650 kg, entered an orbit of 500km above the Earth about 12 minutes after it was launched.

The satellite has a designed life expectancy of five years.

The satellite will be used for aiding China's country's land-resources surveys, natural-disaster prevention, agriculture development, water-resources management, and urban planning, according to the center.