Posted: Thu, Apr 2, 2015, 10:14 AM ET (1414 GMT)
A Chinese Long March rocket placed a next-generation navigation satellite into orbit on Monday. The Long March 3C rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 9:52 am EDT (1352 GMT, 9:52 pm Beijing time) Monday carrying a new Beidou navigation satellite. Chinese officials said the satellite is the first in a new generation of navigation satellites, featuring new signals and intersatellite links, as China expands its Beidou system from a regional to a global system. The launch also featured the use of a new upper stage on the Long March.
