TAIYUAN - China sent a new marine satellite into orbit Friday to help improve understanding of maritime waters and climate change.

A Long March-2C rocket carrying the HY-1C satellite took off at 11:15 am from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China's Shanxi province.

The satellite HY-1C will help monitor ocean color and water temperatures, providing basic data for research on the global oceanic environment, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Its data will also be used in the survey of the resources and environment of China's offshore waters, islands and coastal zones, marine disaster relief and the sustainable utilization of ocean resources, said the administration.

With a design life of five years, it was developed by the China Spacesat Co Ltd under the China Academy of Space Technology.

Friday's launch was the 284th by the Long March rocket series.