XICHANG, Sichuan, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China sent a new Beidou navigation satellite into orbit on a Long March-3A rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in the southwestern Sichuan Province, at 4:58 a.m. Tuesday.

The satellite is the 32nd of the Beidou navigation system, and one of the Beidou-2 family, which is the second generation of the system.

The launch was the 280th mission of the Long March rocket series.