While the research satellite is officially intended for civilian use, Taiwanese officials said in November that ROCSAT-2 could also be used for military purposes.

The US-based Orbital Sciences Corporation and Taiwan's National Space Program Office successfully launched a Taurus XL rocket at 10:47amfrom the base north of Los Angeles, base officials said Thursday.

"The rocket carries the ROCSAT-2 remote sensing satellite," a statement from Vandenberg said.

"Its mission is to observe and monitor the terrestrial and marine environment and natural resources throughout Taiwan, its remote islands and surrounding ocean for civil applications."

The launch of the French-made satellite that can take high-resolution pictures had been scheduled for January 17 but was delayed.

"Data gathered by the ROCSAT-2 can be used on different fields ... including military," Chen Cheng-hsing, who oversees Taiwan's satellite programme,in November.

Military analysts said that without a fully-controlled spy satellite, Taiwan could hardly establish a functional anti-missile system while rival China increases the deployment of ballistic missiles targeting the island.

China has viewed Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary, since nationalists fled mainland China for Taiwan following their 1949 defeat in the country's civil war.

But according to the NSPO, the satellite's primary objective is to monitor Taiwan's landmass and surrounding waters, as well as study atmospheric conditions.

The 750-kilogram (1,650-pound) satellite is made by Astrium of France and was assembled in Taiwan from where it was shipped to California.

The satellite, with a life span of five years, will be placed in a 890 kilometer (480 nautical mile) high orbit. The total cost for the project is 4.7 billion Taiwan dollars (1.18 billion US).

Taiwan in October 1991 launched a 15-year space program at an estimated cost of 19.6 billion dollars (576.47 million US).

SPACE.WIRE