China launched on Thursday a navigation satellite which will conduct in-orbit experiments using pulsar detectors to demonstrate new technologies.
The X-ray pulsar navigation satellite, weighing more than 200 kilogrammes, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the country’s northwest.
It was carried by a Long March-11 rocket, the 239th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket series.
While in orbit, the satellite will undergo tests on its detector functions and space environment adaptability.
{{/usCountry}}While in orbit, the satellite will undergo tests on its detector functions and space environment adaptability.
{{/usCountry}}The satellite and the rocket were designed by academies affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The X-ray pulsar navigation will help reduce the spacecraft’s reliance on ground-based navigation methods and is expected to lead to autonomous spacecraft navigation in the future.