China to launch 1 to 3 Beidou backup satellites this year

(ECNS) -- China plans to launch one to three BeiDou network backup satellites this year to further improve the stability and availability of the constellation, a senior official said at a conference on Wednesday.

China will continue to improve intelligent ground operation, and implement major projects for the industrialization of the BeiDou system, said Chen Gucang, deputy director of the China Satellite Navigation Office at the 13th China Satellite Navigation Conference held in Beijing.

In the field of consumer electronics, mainstream smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei, Apple, and Xiaomi have all adopted the BeiDou system.

In 2022, the total shipment volume of new smartphones that support BeiDou in China reached 260 million units, accounting for 98.5 percent of the market share, said Chen.

The BeiDou-3 satellite navigation system was deployed In June 2020, consisting of 24 Medium Earth Orbit, 3 Geostationary Earth Orbit, and 3 Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit satellites.

In July 2020, the BeiDou-3 system officially launched global services and has been widely used in various industries. It has been deeply integrated with emerging technologies such as big data, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, giving rise to new business models such as "BeiDou+" and "+BeiDou," while supporting digital transformation and improving efficiency in the economy and society.