China launches twin navigation satellites

BEIJING: China today successfully sent twin navigation satellites into the space on a single carrier rocket, according to official Chinese media.

The Long March-3B carrier rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province today morning.

It was the 283rd mission of the Long March rocket series, state run Xinhua news agency reported.


The twin satellites entered orbit more than three hours after the launch.

After a series of tests, they will work together with 10 other BeiDou-3 satellites already in orbit.

The twin satellites were developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012, the report said.