China at 0:08 a.m. on June 1 launched "SinoSat-3", a communications satellite, aboard a Long March-3A rocket vehicle, marking the 100th flight of its Long March family and crowning China the fourth country after the United States, Russia and the European Union for having launched rockets for space missions 100 times.

SinoSat-3 mainly used for telecommunication, broadcasting and data transmission services in China was developed and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology while its rocket carrier Long March-3A was the product of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, both under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.   Being a three-stage liquid propellant rocket, Long March-3A has a capable attitude control system for its payload and may carry multiple satellites in one mission.