Credit: Innovation Academy for Microsatellites

Four pairs of Beidou Navigation System (BDS-3) satellites manufactured by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were launched into space in 2018. Each pair was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by one rocket into medium Earth orbit. The satellites have made a significant contribution to the development of the BDS-3 primary system and its global services.

Beidou Network

Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned this achievement – saying that the "Beidou Satellite Navigation System has gone global" – during his 2019 New Year's Message.