China launched the second in its Zi Yuan-2 (ZY-2) series of photo-reconnaissance satellites from the Tai Yuan centre on 27 October using a CZ-4B launch vehicle. The first ZY-2 satellite was launched on 1 September 2000. The approximately 1.5 tonnes ZY-2 satellite is the military version of the ZY-1/China Brazil Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) platform that China developed jointly with Brazil for use as a civilian remote-sensing satellite. The ZY-1 version has an advertised operational lifetime of two years and it would be reasonable to assume that the military version has the same planned lifetime. The first ZY-2 satellite...