(Source: China News Service)

At 8:55 Beijing Time on November 23, 2019, China successfully launched the 50th and 51st Beidou Navigation Satellites in a dual-satellite, single-rocket mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The launch vehicle was the Long March 3B rocket, paired with the Yuanzheng-1 upper stage.

Both satellites operate in medium Earth orbit and serve as networking satellites for China’s ongoing Beidou-3 system. After a flight of more than three hours, the satellites accurately entered their preset orbits.

Counting from the launch of the first Beidou-2 navigation test satellite in 2007, the Long March 3A series launch vehicles have sent 51 Beidou navigation satellites into scheduled orbits through 37 fully successful missions over the past 12 years.

Including the earlier launched Beidou navigation test satellites, the Long March 3A series rockets have escorted 55 Beidou satellites into orbit with a 100-percent launch success rate across 41 missions.

This launch marked the 107th mission of the Long March 3A series and the 319th flight of the entire Long March launch vehicle family.

(Source: China News Service)