A Chinese carrier rocket yesterday passed directly over Taiwan in outer space and was the first to do so after four others were launched earlier this month, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The Long March-2D carrier rocket, built by China, blasted off yesterday morning from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, the ministry said in a news release.
Based on the takeoff trajectory, the rocket passed over southwestern Taiwan in outer space, it said, adding that its intelligence systems had been closely tracking the launch.
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The Long March-2D was the fifth launched by China this month and the second in as many days, the minstry said.
China’s Xinhua news agency reported that the rocket, launched at 9:58am, was taking a remote sensing satellite into space.
China’s Yaogan satellites are a series of government-operated optical remote sensing satellites that are likely also used for military reconnaissance, defense experts say.
China launched Yaogan satellites on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday last week, as well as yesterday, the ministry said.
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