China successfully sent a pair of BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space via a single carrier rocket on Saturday.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying 50th and 51st BeiDou navigation satellites lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:55 a.m. BJT.
Both satellites belong to the medium earth orbit satellites, which are part of the network satellites of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System currently under construction in China.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying 50th and 51st BeiDou navigation satellites lifts off at 8:55 a.m. BJT, Saturday. /Zhang Nan Photo
After more than three hours of flight, the satellites successfully entered the designated orbit.
This is the 319th flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles.