Posted: Mon, Dec 15, 2008, 10:21 PM ET (0321 GMT)
For the second time in two weeks, China launched a remote sensing satellite with possible civil and military applications. A Long March 4B rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 10:22 pm EDT Sunday (0322 GMT, 11:22 am Beijing time Monday) and placed the Yaogan 5 satellite into orbit. Chinese media, which announced the launch a day in advance, said that the spacecraft will be used for a variety of remote sensing applications as well as space science experiments. Western experts have speculated the the Yaogan series of spacecraft may also be used for military reconnaissance.

Related Links:

•  Xinhua article
•  Spaceflight Now article
•  NASASpaceFlight.com article