China launches satellites for global positioning system
China has sent two satellites into space that will form part of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).
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According to the Xinhua news agency, two "BeiDou-3" satellites were launched into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province using a Long March-3B carrier rocket.
The satellites, which are the 57th and 58th components of the BeiDou network, will become operational after undergoing orbital tests.
The launch marked the 504th successful transport mission carried out with Long March rockets.
NEW GENERATION SATELLITE NETWORK TO BE ADDED BY 2035
The Chinese government is developing the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to reduce its military dependence on the US global positioning system, GPS.
The first satellite for the BeiDou satellite network was launched in 2000. Following the "BDS-1" network, which consisted of four satellites, it was developed with the 20-satellite "BDS-2" network, the 5-satellite "BDS-3S" network, and the 34-satellite "BDS-3" network.
The new generation satellite network, called "BDS-4," is targeted to be added to the system by 2035.