China's Long March rocket series has reached a major milestone with its 600th flight, following the successful launch of a Long March-8A vehicle that deployed a new group of internet satellites into orbit on Thursday.

Since its debut more than five decades ago, the Long March family has carried nearly 1,400 spacecraft into orbit, accounting for over 86 percent of China's total space launches. Operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the series forms the backbone of the nation's space transportation system.

"These rockets have provided solid support for the implementation of major aerospace projects, such as China's manned spaceflights, BeiDou navigation and deep space exploration," CASC stated in a release marking the occasion.

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