Beidou upgrades for global reach

China has begun to upgrade its Beidou Navigation Satellite System with global-coverage capabilities through the launch of new satellites.

Two third-generation Beidou satellites, the first of their type, were lofted atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Sunday night and were placed in medium Earth orbit thousands of kilometers above the Earth. They will function for at least 12 years, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office.

Beidou is the world's fourth navigation satellite system, following GPS in the United States, GLONASS in Russia and Galileo in the European Union.