The last satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket on June 23, marking the completion of the system's deployment, half a year ahead of schedule.
The satellite will start its service after orbit changing, in-orbit testing and trial assessment.
The first national major space industry project, the successful launch was a milestone in China's evolution into an aerospace power.
Consisting of 30 satellites, the BDS-3 system includes 24 satellites operating in the medium Earth orbit (MEO), three in the geostationary earth orbit (GEO) and three in the inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO).
The newly launched satellite, primarily developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), was the 55th of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS).
It is the third GEO satellite of the BDS-3 system and the 30th of the BDS-3 family. Such satellites often play a key role in services like satellite based augmentation, short message communication and precise point positioning.
According to Chen Zhonggui, chief designer of the BDS-3 system at the China Academy of Space Technology, the launch on June 23 was a turning point of the BDS system from construction to stable operation and service development.
China highly values the BDS system. The completion of BDS-1 can be traced back to the end of 2000 and by the end of 2012 the BDS-2 system was completed and started to provide service to users in the Asia-Pacific region.
The BDS-3 system will be capable of offering service for global users.
A wider, more integrated and smarter system is scheduled to be built in 2035 in which the BDS systems will be equipped with better functions and services that will continue to be offered around the world.
The BDS systems have become a part of China's core infrastructure and contribute to the country's economic and social development in transportation, hydrologic monitoring, meteorological observation, communication, power dispatching, disaster relief and prevention and public security as well as the agriculture, forestry and fishery industries.
The total output value of China's satellite navigation and positioning service was 345 billion yuan ($48.78 billion) in 2019.
At present, an industrial ecological chain center on space information collected by the BDS systems is emerging through integration of the BDS system and new technologies including the internet, big data and artificial intelligence.
The industrial chain is expected to be a new engine and to propel rapid development of the BDS industry and push forward a revolution in production and lifestyles as well as commercial modes.
An integration between BDS systems' highly-precise satellite service and such cutting-edge technologies as cloud computing, the internet of things and big data as well as high-end manufacturing and software industry will be deepened and promoted to serve national economic and social information development.
Liu Lidong, chief designer of the Long March-3B carrier rocket, explained that to guarantee a successful launch the cryogenic engine and igniter of the rocket were optimized to improve reliability. Some key components of the rocket were also equipped with protection devices.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket, primarily developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology of CASC, is one of the Long March-3 series which include three kinds of carrier rockets propelled by liquid propellants – the Long March-3A, Long March-3B and Long March-3C.
The carrier rockets have carried out 44 BDS satellite launches, sending 59 BDS satellites including four trial navigation satellites and 55 BDS satellites into orbit since the launch of the first trial satellite on Oct 31, 2000.
With a 100 percent success rate, the Long March-3A series has been called a "dedicated train" for deployment of the BDS systems.
The launch on June 23 was the 336th mission of the Long March series.
The Long March-3B, carrying the 55th BDS-3 satellite, is launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan province on June 23. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The fairing and propeller of the Long March-3B carrier rocket which shoulders the launch mission of the 55th BDS-3 satellite [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The Long March-3B is ready for launch. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
