Updated on
Summary China successfully launched two satellites into space for its Beidou global navigation.
With the two, China has so far launched 13 satellites to form part of the Beidou system to counter the US Global Position System (GPS).The Beidou-2 satellites, launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, were boosted by a Long March-3B carrier rocket and have entered the scheduled orbit.It is the first time China has launched two navigation satellites with one rocket, and the two satellites will help to improve the accuracy of the Beidou, or Compass system, the center said in a statement.China will launch three more satellites for the Beidou network this year and a global satellite positioning and navigation system will be completed in 2020 with more than 30 orbiters, the statement said.Mondays mission marked the 160th flight of Chinas Long March series of carrier rockets.
