[Satellite Today 12-15-08] The Yaogan 5 satellite, a Chinese Earth observation satellite, was launched on board a Long March rocket from the Taiyuan launch base, state-owned Xinhua News Agency announced Dec. 15.
    The satellite will be placed into a sun-synchronous orbit to begin operations in environmental surveillance, urban planning, crop studies, emergency response and space science experiments, according to Xinhua.
    The satellite is the fifth Yaohan spacecraft to be launched by China since 2006.