China launched the last satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Tuesday, marking the completion of the deployment of its own global navigation system.

The satellite, the 55th in the family of BeiDou, was launched at 9:43 a.m. (Beijing Time) and sent into the preset orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The satellite, designated to enter the geostationary earth orbit (GEO), was the last one of the BDS-3 system, which started to offer countries and regions along the Belt and Road as well as the world basic navigation service in December 2018.

The BDS-3 system consists of a total of 30 satellites, including 24 MEO satellites, three IGSO satellites and three GEO satellites. The three GEO satellites, including the newly launched one, can help significantly enhance the overall technical indicators of the BDS-3 system, according to the satellite developer China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The launch has overcome many difficulties caused by novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The launch team strictly implemented various epidemic prevention measures and optimized workflow, making every effort to ensure both a successful launch and efficient epidemic control.

This mission marks the 336th launch of the Long March carrier rocket series.