China sends 2 more BDS satellites into space
China successfully launched the 47th and 48th satellites of the homegrown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into designated orbit on Monday, marking a step forward in forming a complete global navigation satellite system (GNSS).
The two satellites, both of the BDS3 system, are the first Medium Earth Orbit satellites launched this year, via a single launch mission carried out by a Long March-3B carrier rocket at 5:10 am at Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, according to a statement released by the China Satellite Navigation Office.
After more than three hours of flight, the two satellites successfully entered orbit, undergoing further in-orbit tests before they enter active network service, said the statement.
The launch mission came after the office announced on Thursday that having completed in-orbit tests, the 44th BDS satellite had officially joined the service. It also revealed that the Monday launch mission took place before its planned liftoff due to weather conditions.
Currently, China’s BDS is one of the four space-based GNSS in the world, along with US’ GPS, Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo. The BDS system started to provide global service at the end of 2018, as the construction of the BDS-3 primary system had been completed by then.
Currently, 41 BDS satellites are in active service.
China aims to raise its global competitiveness in the transport sector by setting up transport networks with wider coverage and higher speeds, according to an official document.
The country will establish a comprehensive modern transport system by 2035, according to the document jointly released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The BDS system has been playing a crucial role in the process, insiders said.
By April 2019, more than 6.2 million vehicles and 80,000 buses in 36 cities in China had adopted the BDS, forming the biggest dynamic vehicle monitoring system in the world.