Launch of final satellite in China’s BeiDou navigation network delayed

Technical problems were discovered with the Long March 3B rocket carrier during a routine pre-launch check. The system would reflect ‘the party’s ongoing drive to decouple itself from Western critical technologies’, analyst says. — SCMP

China delayed launching the last of the BeiDou-3 satellites into orbit after finding “technical problems” in the rocket carrier, state media Xinhua reported on June 16.

The problems were discovered during a routine check before the satellite launch in Xichang centre, in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Xinhua did not elaborate on the exact cause of the problem. The launch was originally scheduled for around 10:30am on June 16, dependent on weather.