China launches two new BeiDou satellites

China on Saturday successfully launched into the orbit the 50th and 51st satellites of its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC) said.

The launch was carried out at 08:55 a.m. (local time) on Saturday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southern Sichuan province, using a Chang Zheng-3B carrier rocket, Sputnik news agency reported after quoting China Aerospace and Technology Corporation (CASC).

CASC noted that once the satellites reached the orbit and passed necessary tests, they would become part of the navigation system.

Both satellites belong to the medium earth orbit satellites, which are part of the network satellites of BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System.

The BeiDou system is designed as a rival to GPS in the United States, GLONASS in Russia and Galileo in the European Union. Beijing plans that the system will offer its services worldwide by 2020.

This was the 319th mission for the Chang Zheng family of launch vehicles.