China's BeiDou navigation satellites will provide danger alerts and navigation services for global users after the successful launch of two satellites on Wednesday.
The twin BeiDou-3 navigation satellites were sent into space on a single carrier rocket Long March-3B from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 10:07 p.m. on Wednesday. It was the 285th mission of the Long March rocket series.
The twin satellites are the 37th and 38th editions of the BeiDou navigation system. After a series of tests and evaluations, they will work together with 12 BeiDou-3 satellites already in orbit.
China will have BeiDou medium orbit rescue system with the launch of the two satellites and provide danger alerts and navigation services for users at sea, on land and in the sky, said Beidou spokesperson Ran Chengqi.
The rescue payload on the two satellites will improve the alarm forwarding efficiency and safeguard people's lives.
In February of this year, the BeiDou system was listed on a global satellite search and rescue implementation plan by COSPAS-SARSAT, an international satellite system for search and rescue.
In the future, the BeiDou navigation system will be able to send feedback information to people in danger, notifying them that their calls were received.
A basic system with 18 orbiting BeiDou-3 satellites will be in place by the end of the year. Named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper, the BeiDou system started serving China in 2000 and the Asia-Pacific region in 2012.
