XICHANG, June 15 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch the last satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) on Tuesday to complete the construction of the global constellation.
The launch window is set between 10:11 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Satellite Navigation Office.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket, to be used to send the satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, was being loaded with fuel on Monday afternoon.
According to the latest weather forecast for the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, the weather conditions meet the requirements for the launch.
The Xichang Satellite Launch Center is located deep in the Daliang Mountains, an area that has entered its rainy season with frequent thunderstorms in June.
"Finding a safe launch window for the rocket in the rainy season is a great challenge," said Jiang Xiaohua, a senior engineer from the launch center.
The accuracy of weather forecasts in the key period at the launch center could be as much as 95 percent, according to Jiang. Enditem
