The Taiyuan Satellite Launching Center is an advanced, multifunal launching site.
It has launched a variety of satellites, including weather, resource and communication satellites into geostationary and other orbits.
Construction of the center began in 1967, and in December 1968 it successfully launched China's first intermediate range rocket.
By 1988, it had launched more than 70 carrier rockets of different kinds, from intermediate to long range.
On September 7,1988, the first Fengyun I satellite was successfully sent into geostationary orbit, followed by the second one on December 3,1990.
The Taiyuan Launching Center also engages in commercial launches for overseas clients. The first international commercial launch was on December 8,1997, when it successfully sent into orbit two iridium satellites made by the American company Motorola.
By 1999, ten 10 iridium satellites had been launched from the center for foreign corporations.
On May 10,1999, the Taiyuan Launch Center used a March 4th II carrier rocket to launch a weather satellite and a scientific experiment satellite. This was the center's seventh successful launch in a row of two satellites on one rocket.
