China launched a remote-sensing satellite early on Thursday morning for a host of civilian purposes, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's leading space contractor.

The State-owned conglomerate said in a news release that the Yaogan 33C was carried by a Long March 4C rocket that lifted off at 2:14 am at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gobi Desert and successfully arrived in its preset orbit.

Remote-sensing satellites refer to those tasked with observing, surveying and measuring objects on land or at sea as well as monitoring weather.

The Yaogan satellite family is the largest fleet of remote-sensing spacecraft in China. Their data has been widely used by governments, public service sectors and businesses.