China kicked off the new year with the successful launch of the No. 2 telecommunications technology test satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Jan. 5. The satellite was sent into the space by a Long March-3B carrier rocket, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The satellite is regarded as part of a new generation of high-capacity communications and broadcasting test satellites. The Long March-3B carrier rocket, developed by CASTC, is the main carrier rocket currently used for commercial satellite launches in China. The launch of the satellite on Jan. 5 was the 245th launch overall for the Long March rocket series, and the 78th for the March-3B carrier rocket, according to a report.

The No. 1 telecommunications technology test satellite was successfully sent into space in September 2015. The satellite was mainly used to test Ka (26.5-40GHz) frequency broadband communications.