ISTANBUL

China on Friday launched two data exchange satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country’s northwest.

The VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) satellites were launched aboard Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) carrier rocket, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.

The launch took place at 5 pm local time (0900GMT), and the two satellites successfully entered their planned orbit.