The South China tiger Kang Kang, whose DNA was sent into space for backup storage by the Long March 11 carrier rocket on Saturday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Dry powder of DNA from a South China tiger of the Guangzhou Zoo was blasted into space by the Long March 11 carrier rocket on Saturday for backup storage of the genes of this endangered species.

The DNA launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China comes from the blood of a male South China tiger named Kang Kang, according to the zoo in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

On orbit about 1,000 kilometers above the ground and banking on the low temperature and vacuum in space, the launch marks a positive exploration in the protection and backup of species resources.