China launches first GEO Yaogan satellite as India lofts record-mass commsat

China launched a new Yaogan reconnaissance satellite late Sunday, following India’s launch of its highest mass communications satellite to date. A Long March 7A lifted off at 10:47 p.m. Eastern, Nov. 2 (0347 UTC, Nov. 3) from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan, rising into a grey sky. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success, revealing the previously undisclosed payload to be the Yaogan-46 satellite. More

(Source: - Nov 4)