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December 19, 2010

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Successful space launch

China successfully launched an orbiter into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province yesterday morning.

It was the seventh orbiter that China has launched for the Beidou network, an independent satellite navigation and positioning system.

China started building its own satellite navigation system in 2000 to end its dependence upon the GPS system developed by the United States. It sent two orbiters into space as a double-satellite experimental positioning system in 2000.

Beidou is designed to provide navigation, time and short message services in the Asia-Pacific region before 2012 and will be capable of providing global navigation services by 2020.

The launch marked the 136th flight for the country's Long March series of rockets.

The new satellite was launched on a Long March-3A carrier rocket. It joined six others already in orbit to form a network that will eventually comprise more than 30 satellites.



 

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