XICHANG－China sent two satellites of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province at 8:55 am on Saturday, according to the China Satellite Navigation Office.

The two satellites－the 50th and 51st members of the Beidou satellite family (not including the first four experimental ones)－h(huán)ave entered their planned orbits after being launched by a Long March 3B carrier rocket, with a Yuanzheng 1(Expedition 1) upper stage.

The two medium earth orbit satellites have been deployed as part of the Beidou 3 system network.

The launch was the 319th mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.

The two new satellites, the carrier rocket and upper stage were developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Innovation Academy for Microsatellites and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.