China adds 23rd satellite to BeiDou constellation
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The 23rd BeiDou satellite lifts off.
The Chinese Beidou system’s 23rd satellite was launched into orbit Sunday aboard a Long March 3C rocket.
The Long March 3C rocket lifted off at 1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. EDT) from the Xichang launch base in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
This is the third new satellite to join the fleet this year. The 21st satellite was launched in February, and the 22nd in March.
The satellite was deployed into an elliptical orbit more than 22,000 miles (35,700 kilometers) above Earth. It will power its way into a circular geosynchronous orbit over the equator in the coming weeks.
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