China delivers remote sensing satellite to Venezuela

China sent into space a remote sensing satellite, the "VRSS-1," for Venezuela from northwestern China's Gobi dessert at noon Saturday, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center said in a statement.

The delivery marks China's first in-orbit delivery of a remote sensing satellite to an international customer, it says.

In 2008 China launched Venezuela's first satellite -- the Venesat-1, or "Simon Bolivar" -- to carry communications facilities.

Venesat-1, which was a jointly built telecommunication satellite, made Venezuela the fourth Latin American country to own a satellite after Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.