A Long March 2C carrier rocket was used to send an experimental satellite into space on Friday afternoon, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, a leading State-owned space contractor.

The company said in a news release that the rocket, equipped with an upper stage, blasted off at 12:11 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi Desert and soon placed the Shiyan 33 research satellite into its preset orbit.

The Long March 2C model is made by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. It is 43 meters long and 3.35 meters wide and has a liftoff weight of 242.5 metric tons. It is mainly used to deploy satellites to low-Earth and sun-synchronous orbits.

The launch was China's 19th space mission of the year to date and the 635th flight of the Long March rocket fleet.