China successfully launched the remote-sensing satellite Yaogan XIII Wednesday from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern province of Shanxi, according to a press release from the center.

The satellite was carried into space aboard a Long March 2C carrier rocket at 2:50 a.m. Beijing time, according to the center.

The satellite will be used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out surveys on land resources, monitor crop yields and help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention.

The Long March 2C carrier rocket was produced by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The Wednesday flight is the 152th mission of Long-March-series carrier rockets.