Yaogan 5: newest Chinese satellite launched

China on Monday successfully launched a new remote sensing satellite that can be used for urban planning and disaster prevention among others. The "Yaogan 5" was launched on a Long March-4B carrier rocket at 11.22 am local time (8.52 IST) from the Taiyuan Launch Centre at Shanxi Province, state media Xinhua said. Its predecessors Yaogon IV was launched earlier this month from the Jiuquan centre and Yaogon III from the Taiyuan in November 12, 2007, it said.

The satellite was developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, while the rocket was designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. The successful launch will enable the country in quick collection of data that can be used for land resources surveys, environmental surveillance and protection, urban planning, crop yield estimates, disaster prevention and space science experiments. The flight was the 114th of the Long March series of the carrier rockets.