spacetoday.net: China launches remote sensing satellite

China launches remote sensing satellite

Posted: Thu, Apr 27, 2006, 6:15 AM ET (1015 GMT)
Long March 4B launch of Yaogan 1 (Xinhua)

A Long March booster launched a Chinese remote sensing satellite on Thursday. The Long March 4B lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 5:48 pm EDT Wednesday (2148 GMT Wednesday, 6:48 am Thursday Beijing time). It placed into sun-synchronous orbit a spacecraft identified as Remote Sensing Satellite No. 1 or Yaogan 1. The spacecraft, which weighs 2,700 kilograms, will be used for scientific and land resources applications, according to official Chinese media reports. The launch, which was not announced in advance of Thursday's liftoff, was the first this year for the Chinese space program.