Final Beidou satellite ready for launch from Xichang center

The satellite, which was transported to the Xichang center on April 4, was designed and made by the China Academy of Space Technology, a subsidiary of State-owned space conglomerate China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The most recent Beidou launch, in March, transported the 58th Beidou satellite to a geostationary orbit.

All of the system's satellites have been launched from Xichang on Long March 3Bs.

The drive to establish a domestically developed satellite network for navigation and positioning was initiated by Chinese scientists in 1983, and the country began research and development of its own space-based navigation and positioning system in 1994, aiming to mitigate its absolute reliance on foreign networks.

Since 2000, when the first Beidou satellite entered orbit, 58 satellites, including the first four experimental ones, have been launched, with some of them having retired.

More than 100,000 scientists, engineers and technicians from more than 300 domestic institutes and enterprises have been involved in Beidou's development and construction.