Posted: Sun, Dec 10, 2017, 7:05 AM ET (1205 GMT)

China launched a military satellite December 3. The Long March 2D rocked lifted off at 11:11 pm EST (0411 GMT Dec. 4) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and carried what Chinese officials called Land Survey Satellite-1. The satellite will be used for "remote sensing exploration of land resources," according to Chinese media, but Western observers believe it will be used for military applications.