Beijing : China successfully launched two new satellites for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province, southwest China.
The satellites, the 59th and 60th in the BeiDou system, were launched aboard a Long March-3B rocket with the Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage. These satellites are the second set of medium Earth orbit satellites launched since the BeiDou-3 system became fully operational for global navigation.
Equipped with advanced atomic clocks and new communication stations, the satellites will enhance the system’s reliability in positioning, navigation, timing, and global short-message communication services. They will also support testing new technologies for the next generation of the BeiDou system, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office.
This marks the 535th mission for the Long March carrier rocket series. The satellites and launch vehicles were developed by the Academy of Innovation for Small Satellites and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.
