Long March 3B

Two new satellites join China’s Beidou navigation fleet

March 29, 2018 Stephen Clark

Two Chinese Beidou navigation satellites launched Thursday, growing the country’s home-grown space-based GPS network nearly 14,000 miles above Earth.

China adds two more satellites to home-grown navigation network

February 12, 2018 Stephen Clark

Two more Chinese Beidou navigation satellites successfully lifted off aboard a Long March 3B rocket Monday on China’s seventh space launch in five weeks.

Chinese navigation network expanded with pair of new Beidou satellites

January 13, 2018 Stephen Clark

Two satellites destined to join China’s Beidou network successfully launched Thursday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, the first two of up to 18 new Chinese navigation craft scheduled for deployment this year.

Chinese rocket launches with first Algerian communications satellite

December 10, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Chinese-built telecom satellite for Algeria successfully launched Sunday aboard a Long March 3B rocket, heading toward a perch more than 22,000 miles over the equator to provide television broadcasts, broadband Internet, remote education and emergency communications services.

China returns Long March 3B rocket to service after June failure

November 5, 2017 Stephen Clark

China’s Long March 3B rocket, used to power navigation and communications satellites into high-altitude orbits, launched for the first time in nearly five months Sunday with two spacecraft for the country’s Beidou positioning network.

China resumes launch campaigns after string of failures, delays lunar mission

October 4, 2017 Stephen Clark

The launch of three experimental remote sensing satellites last week signaled the resumption of Chinese space launches following multiple rocket failures since late last year, but a senior Chinese space official has confirmed the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon remains grounded.

Chinese TV broadcasting satellite reaches operational orbit after off-target launch

July 13, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Chinasat 9A communications satellite has arrived at its operational perch more than 22,000 miles over the equator after a Long March rocket deployed the craft in a lower-than-planned orbit last month due to a roll control error in the launcher’s third stage, according to China’s top state-owned aerospace contractor.