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China today sent two twin satellites in space on a single carrier rocket, launching a period of unprecedented intensive Beidou satellite launches.
The Mars-3B long-range rocket took off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province in southwestern China at 9:48 am today, which is the 281st mission in the series of Long March rockets.
The twin satellites are 33 and 34 of Beidou's navigation system. They entered orbit more than three hours after launch. After a series of tests, they will work together with eight Beidou-3 satellites already in orbit, said the launch service provider.
By the end of the year, there will be a basic system with 18 satellites Beidou-3 in orbit, which will serve the countries participating in the initiative Strip and Road proposed by the China.
The Beidou system, named after the Chinese term for the Ursa main car, began providing services for: navigation to China in the year 2000 and to the Asia-Pacific region in 2012. It will be the world's fourth-largest satellite navigation system after the US GPS system, the Russian GLONASS and the European Galileo.
Satellites and Rocket The launch of today was developed by the China Space Technology Academy and the Chinese Launch Vehicle Technology Academy, respectively.
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