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Tag: Xichang Satellite Launch Center

  • China launches two MEO BeiDou-3 satellites

    China launches two MEO BeiDou-3 satellites

    China sends two BeiDou satellites into space a Nov. 23. (Photo: Guo Wenbin/Xinhua)
    China sends two BeiDou satellites into space a Nov. 23. (Photo: Guo Wenbin/Xinhua)

    China launched two satellites of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 8:55 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.

    Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket and the Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage attached to the carrier rocket, the two satellites have entered their planned orbits. They are the 50th and 51st satellites of the BDS satellite family.

    The two medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites are also network satellites of the BeiDou-3 system.

    The two new satellites, the carrier rocket and Yuanzheng-1 were all developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

    The launch was the 319th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.

  • China launches a new BDS-3 satellite

    China launches a new BDS-3 satellite

    China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 17:43:04.482 UTC on Nov. 5.

    Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 49th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the 24th satellite of the BDS-3 system.

    It also marked that a total of three BDS-3 satellites have been sent into the inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.

    The launch was the 317th mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.

    The new satellites and the carrier rocket were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

    China will launch another six BDS-3 satellites to complete the BDS global network.

    A new BeiDou satellite is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Nov. 5. (Photo: Liu Xu/Xinhua)
    A new BeiDou satellite is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Nov. 5. (Photo: Liu Xu/Xinhua)
  • China launches new GEO BeiDou satellite

    China launches new GEO BeiDou satellite

    China launched another BeiDou satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 10:41 p.m. April 20, according to Xinhua.

    The inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit (IGEO) satellite was launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket. It is the 44th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the first BDS-3 satellite in inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.

    After in-orbit tests, the satellite will work with 18 other BDS-3 satellites in intermediate circular orbit and another IGEO satellite.

    Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou system, told Xinhua that the hybrid constellation design will increase the number of visible satellites in the Asia-Pacific region.

    According to Yang, the positioning accuracy of the system has reached 10 meters globally and five meters in the Asia-Pacific Region after the system started to provide global service at the end of last year.

    The BDS has been widely used around the world, such as in building construction in Kuwait, precision agriculture in Myanmar, land survey and mapping in Uganda and warehousing and logistics in Thailand.

    About 8-10 BDS satellites are scheduled to be launched this year, wrapping up launch missions of all BDS-3 satellites in medium Earth orbit. The BDS-3 system is to be completed in 2020.

    China is also planning to finish building a high-precision national comprehensive positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system based on BeiDou by 2035.

    Featured photo: Xinhuanet

  • China launches twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites

    China launches twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites

    China launched twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space on Jan. 12 as part of efforts to enable its BeiDou system to provide navigation and positioning services to countries along the Belt and Road by the end of 2018, reports XinhuaNet.

    China’s Belt and Road Initiative aims to create the world’s largest platform for economic cooperation.

    The pair of satellites was launched at 7:18 a.m. local time aboard a Long March-3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The twin satellites are coded the 26th and 27th satellites in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.

    This is the first launch of the BeiDou satellites in 2018, which will see intensive launches throughout the year.

    The twin satellites are coded MEO-7 and MEO-8, the 26th and 27th satellites in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.