BEIJING – China on Friday successfully launched two BeiDou-3 satellites toprovide navigation and positioning services to countries along the Belt andRoad initiative of the Communist giant by the end of 2018. The satelliteswould be providing navigation and positioning services to the BRI and theCPEC as well.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket took off from Xichang Satellite LaunchCenter in the southwestern province of Sichuan at 7:18am. (local time).This is the first launch of the BeiDou satellites in 2018, which will seeintensive launches throughout the year.
The two satellites are coded the 26th and 27th satellites in the BeiDouNavigation Satellite System (BDS). The BDS is also being built as rival toUS Global Positioning System (GPS).
China plans to send 18 BeiDou-3 satellites into space in 2018, according toYang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou system.
“The intensive launches will pose a great challenge. We must exercisestrict control over quality specifications to ensure each of them is asuccess,” Yang said.
Aiming to promote international use, China will move to incorporate BeiDouinto the international satellite navigation system, enhance internationalcooperation, and make it compatible with GPS from the United States,Russia’s GLONASS, and the European Union’s Galileo, he said.
The satellites and the rocket for today’s launch were developed by theinnovation academy for microsatellites at the Chinese Academy of Sciencesand China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, respectively.
Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou project wasformally launched in 1994. It began to serve China in 2000 and theAsia-Pacific region at the end of 2012.
By around 2020, when the BDS goes global, it will have more than 30satellites.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is multibillion dollar project startedby China to build, roads, ports, railway and other infrastructure projectsin different parts of the world to expand its global influence.