China launches navigation satellite
April 15th, 2009 - 2:26 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, April 15 (Xinhua) China successfully launched its second navigation satellite Wednesday.
The carrier rocket, Long March 3C, blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
An official with the National Engineering Center of Satellite Navigation said the successful launch of the geostationary satellite was of great importance as it was the second satellite navigation system independent from foreign technology.
The system, code named “COMPASS”, is a crucial part of the country’s space infrastructure for providing navigation and positioning services in transportation, forest fire monitoring, disaster forecast, telecommunications and public security, the official said.
It was the 116th flight for the country’s Long March series of rockets.
China launched the first “Compass” navigation satellite into geostationary orbit in April 2007 to build up its own positioning system following the United States’ Global Positioning System, the Galileo Positioning System of Europe and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System.
- China launches satellite for indigenous global navigation - Apr 10, 2011
- China launches two satellites - Apr 30, 2012
- China launches competitor to GPS - Apr 12, 2011
- China launches sixth navigation satellite - Nov 01, 2010
- China successfully launches second satellite for global navigation system - Apr 15, 2009
- China launches French-made satellite - Apr 01, 2012
- China launches navigation satellite - Jul 27, 2011
- China to launch 2nd navigation satellite on Wednesday - Apr 13, 2009
- China launches new navigation satellite - Aug 01, 2010
- China to launch satellite for Pakistan - Aug 10, 2011
- China launches one more satellite - Jul 30, 2011
- China launches telecommunication satellite - May 27, 2012
- China launches communication satellite for Nigeria - Dec 20, 2011
- China launches orbiter for global navigation system - Jan 17, 2010
- China launches satellite - Jul 26, 2012
Tags: 3c, compass navigation, engineering center, foreign technology, forest fire, galileo positioning system, geostationary satellite, global navigation satellite system, global positioning system, national engineering, navigation satellite system, positioning services, public security, satellite launch center, satellite navigation system, sichuan province, southwest china, space infrastructure, xichang satellite launch center, xinhua