China yesterday launched two new satellites for its Beidou program, moving one step closer to having its own global navigation system.
China has now deployed 13 of the 35 satellites planned for the Beidou satellite navigation system, BBC Newsreported. All 35 satellites should be in orbit by 2020.
The Beidou system is being designed to help China reduce its reliance on the US GPS satellite system.
It too has been designed for both military and civilian use, and is currently partially operational.
China is now one of just three countries to have their own global navigation system, after the US and Russia with its GLONASS system.
But the European Union is also deploying its own system – Galileo - and launched two of the system’s satellites in October last year.