This satellite is the twenty-first networked satellite and the second inclined geosynchronous orbit satellite of the BeiDou-3 system. After a series of in-orbit tests, the satellite will be operated in a network with the 20 BeiDou-3 satellites previously launched to provide services at the right time, further enhancing the coverage capability and service performance of the BeiDou system. 

The launch of the Beidou-3 satellite and the accompanying launch vehicle were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, both of which are subsidiaries of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTEC). This is the 307th flight of the Long March series of launch vehicles.

(Source: Beidou Satellite Navigation System; Photograph: Guo Wenbin)