China sends two more satellites into space

China on Monday sent two more satellites into space to its indigenous BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).

The satellites were successfully launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 5:10 a.m. (2110GMT), Xinhua news reported.

BDS is a Chinese satellite navigation system which consists of two separate satellite constellations launched in 2000 and 2011, respectively.

The satellites launched using the Long March-3B carrier rocket entered the orbit. It was the 312th mission for the Long March series of the carrier rockets.

In total, Chinese BDS have sent 48 satellites into space.

The China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology have jointly developed the BDS satellites and the carrier rocket.

“The new satellites will work with those BDS satellites already in orbit to improve positioning accuracy of the system,” the report said.

Beijing is scheduled to complete the BDS global network by 2020.

The two separate BDS satellite constellations offer coverage and navigation services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region.