China today successfully launched a satellite into space to bolster its indigenous global navigation and positioning network known as Beidou.
The satellite, launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province, was boosted by a Long March-3C carrier rocket into a geosynchronous orbit.
It is China’s 11th home-made navigation satellite. It was the 158th launch of the Long March carrier rockets, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Beidou system started to provide services on a trial basis on December 27, 2011. The system has been used in transportation, weather forecasting, marine fisheries, hydrological monitoring and mapping.
China began to build the Beidou or compass system in 2000 with a goal of breaking its dependence on the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and creating its own global positioning system by 2020.
China will launch more satellites for the Beidou network this year to improve the system’s coverage and services, according to the launch centre, the report said.