China on Wednesday sent a new BeiDou navigation satellite into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The satellite was launched at 10:49 a.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. It will be connected to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System after it enters orbit and completes in-orbit tests.

The satellite, designed to enter the geostationary earth orbit, is the 56th of the BeiDou family and also the first backup satellite for the country's BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System.

The mission marked the 473rd flight of the Long March carrier rockets.