China has launched the remote-sensing satellite Yaogan XIII on a Long March 2C carrier rocket from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in the northern province of Shanxi.
With a synthetic aperture radar sensor onboard, the satellite will gather optical and radar reconnaissance imagery for Chinese military and intelligence agencies.
The new satellite will enable the agencies to monitor crop yields, carry out scientific experiments and surveys on land resources, and help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention.
China had planned to launch 25 satellites into space by the end of 2011.
