China launched the first two communications satellites for its space-based Internet of Things (IoT) project on a Kuaizhou-1A rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 9:16 a.m. on Tuesday.

The two satellites, Xingyun-2 01 and 02, are the first stars of the "Xingyun Engineering" project, which is scheduled to complete the network with 80 low-orbit communications satellites.

Kuaizhou-1A rocket at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 12, 2020. (Photo: China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation)