China has sent another pair of BeiDou-3 navigation satellites into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province. The Long March-3-B carrier rocket carrying the twin satellites blasted off on Sunday afternoon. They entered the designated orbit after a flight of more than four hours. The navigation network is scheduled to function globally by 2020, with a dozen more satellites to be launched until then.

Compared with the previous generation, the BeiDou-3 satellites have achieved many technological innovations. As one of the four major global navigation satellite systems, BeiDou is also designed to grow into a multi-functional service provider. Following this launch, a basic BeiDou-3 system with a constellation of 19 satellites will be in place by the end of the year, when it will start serving the countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative.