Photo: Gao Nan

China sent two more medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites for the country's BeiDou Navigational Satellites System, or BDS into orbit on Saturday. They are the 50th and 51st of the BeiDou system, Global Times learned from the authorities. 

Carrying two new BDS satellites, a Long March-3B carrier rocket took off at 8:35 am from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Saturday. 

After three hours of flight, the satellites have entered their planned orbit. There will be in-orbit tests before they join the network to provide service.

The launch mission marked the 319 flights of the Long March carrier rocket families.