China successfully launched the Shi Jian 11-05 satellite on a Long March 2C into a low Earth orbit at 0927 GMT on 15 July from the Jiuquan Space Launch Centre in China. This is the fifth in the series of Shi Jian 11 satellites. The fourth example in the series was lost during the Long March 2C failure on 18 August 2011. According to Chinese media the experimental satellite was built by the Dong Fang Hong Satellite Company. While the satellites true mission has not been revealed, it is considered by western analysts that the Shi Jian 11 series of satellites could be a constellation of Early Warning satellites.
