According to China Satellite Navigation System Development Team Member Guo Shuren, the Beidou navigation system aims to be providing Asia-Pacific civilian users with free services in the first half of 2013.

This year China has successfully launched five satellites for Beidou and aims to create a 35 satellite constellation by 2020 for services around the Earth to rival U.S. Global Positioning system (GPS) and Russia’s Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

According to Beijing News, the 16th satellite aims to be launched in the last 10 days of October.