ABOARD YUANWANG-3, June 25, 2019 — Staff members work during a maritime monitoring mission of the satellite launch on China’s spacecraft tracking ship Yuanwang-3, June 25, 2019. China sent a satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province Tuesday. Yuanwang-3, China’s second-generation space tracking ship, has completed maritime monitoring mission of the satellite launch from the the southern Pacific Ocean.Credit: by Liu Shiping/Xinhua via Getty

BEIJING — China said Friday its Beidou Navigation Satellite System that emulates the U.S. Global Positioning System will be completed with the launch of its final two satellites in the first half of next year.

Project director Ran Chengqi told reporters that the core of the positioning system was completed this month with the launch of additional satellites bringing its total constellation to 24.

That was up from 19 the year before, making it one of rising space power China’s most complex projects.

Ran described the system at a rare news conference as having “high performance indicators, new technology systems, high […]