JIUQUAN, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday sent a new-generation ocean color monitoring satellite into space to help improve understanding of marine waters.

The satellite was launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 11:55 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, and it later successfully entered the planned orbit.

The launch was the 497th flight mission to use the Long March carrier rocket series.