Context
In the aftermath of the Indian test of Agni V missile and the launch of RISAT-1 satellite, China has successfully lifted two satellites in to space that will support its Beidou global navigation and positioning network. The satellites were sent from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.
China is planning to send three more satellites in to orbit this year as part of Beidou network, and is expecting to complete the system in 2020 with more than 30 orbiters. Presently the system is being used in China and the region.
The Chinese Beidou navigation system will be the equivalent of US Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia’s Glonass, and Europe’s Galileo.
