Posted: Thu, Sep 23, 2010, 6:23 AM ET (1023 GMT)
China launched Wednesday a remote sensing satellite that will also likely be used by the military. The Long March 2D lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:42 pm EDT Tuesday (0242 GMT, 10:42 Beijing time Wednesday) and placed the Yaogan 11 satellite into orbit. The satellite, according to official Chinese media, will be used for various scientific and earth observation applications, but is widely considered by Western observers to be a military reconnaissance satellite. The launch was the fifth by China in less than two months.

Related Links:

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