The final satellite of a Chinese navigation array was launched into orbit on a Long March 3B carrier rocket on June 23, completing the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) Version 3 six months ahead of schedule.
China started the BDS project in 1994 and has launched nearly 60 satellites to test and complete the system, with the third generation consisting of 30 satellites. As the world’s fourth global navigation satellite system (GNSS) following the US’s GPS, Russia’s GLONASS, and Europe’s Galileo, the third generation BDS is expected to raise positioning accuracy from 10 meters to 2.5 meters at a speed of 0.2 meters per second.
According to Chinese media, BDS provides services to over half the globe, and the latest system will cover and serve the whole globe following a series of in-orbit tests.
Old Version
