BeiDou Navigation Satellite System logo.
Oct. 16, 2018
Long March 3B carrying Beidou-3M13 and Beidou-3M14 launch. Image Credit: CASC/Xinchua
A Long March-3B rocket launched another pair of BeiDou-3 navigation satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 15 October 2018, at 04:23 UTC (12:23 local time).
BeiDou-3M satellites launch- 15 October 2018
According to official sources, the two satellites, BeiDou-3 MEO-15 (M15) and BeiDou-3 MEO-16 (M16) entered the scheduled orbit after more than three hours.
Artist's view of a BeiDou-3 satellite by J. Huart
The satellites are the 39th and 40th in the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, respectively the 15th and 16th for the BeiDou-3 system. So far, China has launched a total of 40 Beidou satellites, and 11 more will be launched in the next two years, in an effort to complete the global navigation network into Medium Earth Orbit.
The Chinese Navigation Constellation. Image Credit: Beidou
Related article:
Long March 3B launches Beidou satellites:
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/08/long-march-3b-launches-beidou-satellites.html
For more information about Beidou navigation system: http://www.beidou.gov.cn/
For more information about China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC): http://english.spacechina.com/n16421/index.html
Images (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: CASC/SciNews.
Greetings, Orbiter.ch
