On December 3, 2017, at 04:11 the “Long March–2D” (“Changzheng-2D”) rocket-carrier was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, the northwest of China. The rocket orbited the “LKW-1” (land exploration satellite) satellite. Western analysts believe the satellite is likely a high-resolution imaging platform for the Chinese military.