China Sends New BeiDou Navigation Satellite Into Space – Reports

China has successfully launched a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province on Friday, local media reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik – ) China has successfully launched a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province on Friday, local media reported.

Launched at 11:48 p.m.

local time (15:48 GMT) on a Long March-3C carrier rocket, it is the 45th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the fourth BDS-2 backup satellite, according to the Xinhua news agency.

On April 21, China launched the 44th satellite of the BDS satellite family on a Long March-3B carrier rocket.

The BeiDou navigation system is designed as a rival to GPS in the United States, Glonass in Russiaand Galileo in the European Union