On April 10, 2018 at 04:25 UTC, the “Long March – 4C” (“Changzheng-4C”) rocket-carrier was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, the northwest of China. The rocket orbited 3 “Yaogan-31” military surveillance satellites and an experimental nanosatellite. The trio of the “Yaogan-31” space vehicles are believed by Western analysts to be maritime reconnaissance satellites, helping Chinese military authorities track foreign naval movements. A nanosatellite will conduct unspecified technological experiments in space.