Beijing  - China launched a satellite into orbit on Tuesday to monitor weather patterns and natural disasters.

The Fengyun-2-06 geo-stationary meteorological satellite will join two predecessors in acquiring data from the ground, the oceans and space for the China Meteorological Administration, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The 1,390-kilogram satellite was launched on a Long March-3A carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the south-western province of Sichuan at 8:54 am (0054 GMT), and entered its preset orbit 24 minutes later, the agency said.

Tuesday's launch is the 115th of China's Long March series of rockets, while the satellite is the sixth launched by China since September.

The government last year announced plans to develop a new range of heavy-duty Long March rockets for its space and commercial satellite programmes over the next three decades.

In 2003, China became the third country to launch a manned rocket into space after Russia and the United States.

Its third manned mission, launched in late September, carried out China's first spacewalk. (dpa)