Long March 4C Launches Yaogan 31 Satellites

A Long March 4C rocket successfully launched a trio of Yaogan 31 spacecraft on Saturday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China’s Gobi Desert.

The booster lifted off at 10:19 a.m. local time. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) declared the launch to be a complete success.

CASC described the Yaogan satellites as being used primarily for monitoring electromagnetic signals. Western analysts believe the spacecraft contain a set of sophisticated instruments used to monitor foreign military activities.

This launch was the seventh for China in 2021 and the 363rd launch of the Long March series launch vehicle.