China successfully launched its 11th satellite for the Beidou navigation system into space at 12:12 a.m. local time Saturday.

The satellite launched from southwestern Sichuan Province, was boosted by a Long March-3C carrier rocket into a geosynchronous orbit. The Beidou system, a global navigation and positioning network, also known as Compass system, started to provide services on a trial basis on December 27th.

The system has been used in transportation, weather forecasting, marine fisheries, hydrological monitoring, and mapping. According to the launch center, China will dispatch more satellites for the Beidou network this year to improve the system's coverage and services.