ISTANBUL 

China launched a satellite Thursday dedicated to tracking ocean salinity from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi province.

The satellite lifted off at 6.42 a.m. Beijing time (2242GMT Wednesday) on a Long March-4B Y53 carrier rocket and has reached its planned orbit, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The satellite will help close gaps in China’s ability to monitor global ocean salinity with high precision, enhancing data on ocean movements and environmental conditions and improving the accuracy of marine forecasts, said the CNSA.

It will support marine and ecological forecasting, monitor the water cycle, contribute to short-term climate predictions and aid global climate research.

The data gathered will also benefit agriculture, disaster responses and weather forecasting.

The launch marks the 545th flight mission of the Long March series rockets.