Beidou launches fifty-sixth Beidou navigation satellite
by Staff Writers
Beijing, China (SPX) May 19, 2023
The fifty-sixth Beidou navigation satellite, developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, recently took to the skies. The satellite is part of the geostationary orbit constellation and serves as the first backup satellite for China's Beidou-3 project.

Upon entering orbit and passing on-orbit tests, it will join the Beidou satellite navigation system. This notable event marks the first mission in three years since the high-density deployment of the Beidou-3 project.

The successful launch of this satellite will further enhance the system's service capabilities, marking a significant step forward in advancing the specialized services of the Beidou system and bolstering its widespread application. This new satellite enables on-orbit hot backup of existing geostationary satellites, which will increase the system's availability and robustness.

Additionally, it will boost the short message communication capacity of the existing coverage area by one-third, and improve satellite-based enhancement and precise single-point positioning service performance, thereby aiding users in achieving fast and high-precision positioning.

The carrier rocket for this mission, the Long March 3B, was designed by the First Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. It forms part of the "Gold Medal Rocket" Long March 3A series, adhering to the unified configuration design concept of the Changzheng 3A series rockets. The Changsanjia series comprises three types of carrier rockets: the Changsanjia, Changsanyi, and Changsanjia.

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