Photos: China Academy of Space Technology

The first oceanic satellite jointly developed by China and France was successfully launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Northwest China's Gansu Province, on Monday.

The China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSat) will be sent into a 520-kilometer orbit above the earth.  Along for the ride will be six satellites based on platforms developed by related associations for a range of scientific and technological experiments.

The CFOSat mission was designed to conduct 24-hour observations of global wave spectrum, effective wave height and ocean surface wind fields. It will help to characterize the dynamics of waves and promote the prediction accuracy of surges and marine tropical storms. The data acquired by the CFOSat will be shared by the scientists of both China and France.

(Compiled by Xu Zhitao)