Long March 3B rocket blasts off for 100th time

China launched a Long March 3B carrier rocket on Tuesday afternoon from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province to place an experimental satellite in space, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The rocket blasted off at 1:56 pm and soon deployed the satellite, named Communication Technology Demonstrator 13, into its preset orbit, the State-owned space contractor said in a news release.

The flight marked the 100th launch of the Long March 3B model, making it the first of all Chinese rocket types to achieve this feat. All 100 of its missions were conducted from the Xichang spaceport.