Long March-3B launches two BeiDou-3 satellites

A Long March-3B launch vehicle, with a Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage, launched two backup BeiDou-3 navigation satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan Province, southwest China, on 19 September 2024, at 01:14 UTC (09:14 local time). The two medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites (BeiDou-3 MEO-27 and MEO-28) are the 59th and 60th of the BeiDou family and the fourth and fifth to act as backup satellites for China’s BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3). Credit: China Central Television (CCTV)