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A Long March-3A
carrier rocket lifts off at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center
in Southwest China's Sichuan province, April 10, 2011. China
successfully launched into space a eighth orbiter for its
independent satellite navigation and positioning network known
as Beidou, or Compass System here Saturday. (Xinhua Photo)
China early Sunday morning successfully launched its eighth
orbiter which will form part of its indigenous
satellite-navigation and -positioning network.
A Long March-3A carrier rocket carrying the "Beidou," or
Compass, navigation satellite took off at 4:47 am Sunday from
the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan
province.
It will join seven other satellites already in orbit to form a
network which will eventually consist of more than 30
satellites.
The launching of the satellite marks the establishment of a
basic system for the navigation and positioning network, said an
unidentified spokesperson for the Xichang Satellite Launch
Center.
China will launch more satellites within the coming two years to
finish a regional network to provide navigation services with
high precision and credibility for industries and sectors such
as mapping, fishery, transportation, meteorology and
telecommunication, in the Asia-Pacific regions, the spokesperson
said.
The network is scheduled to be able to provide global services
by 2020.
By Zhang
Hongyu, People's Daily Online
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