Intelligence analysts are studying the capabilities of a new version of China's Long March 4 booster. The two stage booster was unveiled Nov. 12 when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched an advanced "Yaogan" remote-sensing satellite, possibly with imaging radar, from Taiyuan in northern Shanxi Province. Liftoff was at 6:48 a.m. Beijing time. Details emerging from China indicate that the new Long March 4C (pictured above) has an upgraded second-stage engine that can be restarted in space. This would greatly increase the vehicle's ability to place payloads more precisely into higher orbits, compared with the older 4B model.
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