China put a navigation satellite into orbit Tuesday, the first link in a domestically engineered system designed to lessen the country's dependence on foreign technology. The Long March 3-A rocket blasted off from southwestern China's Xichang launching center a few minutes after midnight and successfully placed the Beidou navigation satellite into orbit, the government's Xinhua News Agency reported. The satellite was developed by China's Research Institute of Space Technology, Xinhua said. It did not say how many other satellites China intends to launch for the system and when the network will be operational. Xinhua applauded the scientific prowess that went into the satellite and noted the successful rocket launching was China's 21st in a row without a mishap since 1996.
Satellite systems allow for more accurate tracking of everything from cargo ships to missiles.
The world's most accurate satellite tracking network, the Global Positioning System, was built by the United States and is maintained by the Department of Defense for both commercial and military uses. As it tries to build up its economy and military, China has been leery of becoming too dependent on foreign technology. Xinhua reported that the military's politically influential general in charge of weapons development, Cao Gangchuan, observed the satellite launching in Xichang. The satellite is the first in a series of navigation satellites planned by China.