Posted: Tue, May 27, 2008, 9:48 PM ET (0148 GMT)
A Long March rocket launched a polar-orbiting weather satellite Tuesday that will be used to improve weather forecasts for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The Long March-4C lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11:02 pm EDT Monday (0302 GMT, 11:02 am Beijing time Tuesday) and placed the Fengyun-3A satellite into polar orbit. The 2,2965-kilogram spacecraft is the first in a new generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites with improved sensors. the Chinese government plans to use the satellite's data to help develop more accurate weather forecasts for the Olympics this August.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASA SpaceFlight.com article
•  AP article
•  AFP article