BEIJING: China’s domestically developed Beidou Navigation Satellite System has covered nearly 30 countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia till now, the office noted.
China launched a pair of navigation satellites on Monday, moving closer to building a global network.
The 28th and 29th satellites in the domestically developed Beidou Navigation Satellite System, one of the nation’s largest space programmes, were lifted atop a long march 3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
They are the fifth and sixth in the third-generation of Beidou satellites and will conduct in-orbit tests and then be connected with the previous four third-generation satellites, said a statement from the China Satellite Navigation Office.
In November, the first two third-generation such satellites were launched at the Xichang centre and in January, another two were lifted at the same centre.
By the end of this year, 18 third-generation Beidou satellites would be placed into orbit and they will work with the earlier generations to cover all nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, the satellite office said.
In 2019 and 2020, China will send six third-generation Beidou satellites into medium Earth orbits, three to inclined geosynchronous satellite orbits and two to geostationary orbits.
According to plans from the satellite office, the network will be made up of 35 satellites before the end of 2020.