Article Posted on : - Nov 30, 2011

A file photo of Yaogan satellite launch.

BEIJING (BNS): China on Wednesday launched a satellite which it said will be used in conducting scientific experiments and carrying out surveys on land resources.

The remote-sensing satellite, Yaogan XIII, was sent into orbit by the Long March 2C carrier rocket.

The rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi province at 2:50 am Beijing time, official media reported.

The Yaogan XIII satellite will be used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out surveys on land resources, monitor crop yields and help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention, the Xinuha news agency said.

China, since 2006, has been orbiting the Yaogan series of satellites in space.

The first Yaogan satellite was launched on April 27, 2006 but its purpose was never made public. The Chinese space agency had only said that the spacecraft was equipped with first space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) -- Jian Bing-3.

Many experts believe that the satellites might have been used for military reconnaissance purposes.