A Chinese rocket placed a navigation satellite in orbit Saturday as part of China's effort to build a global positioning system, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The Long March 3-A rocket blasted off at 4:11 a.m. (2011 GMT Friday) from the Xichang launching center in southwestern China and a short time later the satellite was maneuvered into orbit, 21,500 kilometers (13,300 miles) above the earth, Xinhua said, accoding to AP. The satellite is the fourth China has launched as part of its Compass navigation system, which will provide navigation and positioning services beginning in China in 2008, Xinhua said. A decade ago China grew worried about dependence on the U.S. satellite Global Positioning System network, the dominant positioning system, and began to develop alternatives. Besides the Compass system, China is investing in the European Union's Galileo satellite navigation system and is talking about participating in Russia's GLONASS system. Xinhua said more satellite launches for the Compass system are planned. -- SPA
