China has launched one Beidou-3 navigation satellites into space aboard a Long March 3B (CZ-3B) launch vehicle. Liftoff occurred at 11:57 p.m. local time (3:57 p.m. UTC; 11:57 a.m. EDT) on November 1, 2018 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
The geosynchronous satellite was the 41st in the Beidou constellation. It is also the first third generation satellite deployed to geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is based on CAST’s DFH-3B bus and had a launch mass of about 4,3600 kilograms.
All of the 16 other third generation satellites have been deployed to medium Earth orbit (MEO). Most navigation satellites are deployed to MEO; however, China maintains a handful of geosynchronous satellites to provide backward compatibility with earlier versions of Beidou. Geosynchronous Beidou satellites are also equipped with a messaging payload to support up to 10 million subscriber messages per hour.
China is rapidly launching Beidou satellites with a goal of achieving operational capability, supported by a fleet of 35 satellites, by 2020. The launch of the latest satellite, designated Beidou-3G1Q, is the 16th navigation satellite carried into orbit by China in 2018. China expects to begin offering navigation services over its own territory and other so-called “Belt-and-Road” countries by the end of this year.
The launch also represents the 32nd launch conducted by China this year. Beijing plans to conduct 35 launches in 2018. Another five launches will be conducted by commercial companies in China, bringing the national total up to 40. It’s not clear that China will achieve that ambitious goal. However, Beijing has already set a record for number of launches this year and will continue to launch at a rapid pace through the rest of the year.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began his career at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet became central to defense research, he helped design the company’s Forecast Intelligence Center and now coordinates the FI Market Recap newsletters for clients. He also manages two blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, which covers defense systems and international security issues, and Flight Plan, focused on commercial aviation and space systems.
For more than 30 years, Richard has authored Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International), providing detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database tracking all companies involved in programs covered by the FI library. Richard currently serves as Manager of the Information Services Group (ISG), which develops outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
