China successfully launches a new communication satellite, the Zhongxing-10, from its Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province on June 21, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

XICHANG, Sichuan - China successfully launched a new communication satellite, the Zhongxing-10, from its Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province on early Tuesday.

The satellite, carried by a Long March-3B rocket carrier, blasted off from the center at 0:13 am, said a statement from the center.

According to statistics from the control center, the satellite successfully separated from its carrier rocket and entered Earth's orbit as scheduled, 26 minutes after being launched.

The Zhongxing-10 was designed and manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

The satellite will provide communication, broadcasting and data transmission services for users in China and the Asia-Pacific region. It will replace the Zhongxing-5B satellite, which was launched in 1998.

The launch was the 138th mission for the Long March carrier rocket series.