On August 25, 2018, the BeiDou-3 system’s thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth navigation satellites, which are part of the sixth group of network satellites, were successfully launched from Xichang by the Satellite Innovation Institute. Since entering orbit, the satellites have been operating stably and continuously providing high-quality services.
This mission achieved several key technological breakthroughs for the satellite system: the first deployment of a laser inter-satellite link terminal, which improved inter-satellite ranging accuracy and autonomous operation capabilities; the first deployment of a global short message communication payload, providing autonomous and reliable support for emergency rescue and long-distance communication scenarios. These innovations have become an important support for the comprehensive enhancement of the BeiDou system’s service performance.
Since the official launch of the BeiDou-3 global system on July 31, 2020, it has fully served various fields such as transportation, agriculture, forestry, fishery, and disaster prevention and reduction, truly becoming a “great national instrument” that empowers numerous industries and safeguards a better life.
