China's Geely launches first satellites to guide self-driving cars

BEIJING -- Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, China's largest private automaker, said Thursday it launched nine satellites into space as part of plans to create a high-precision navigation system for self-driving vehicles.

The GeeSAT-1 satellites, designed and produced by subsidiary Geespace, were sent into low Earth orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, marking Geely's first successful launch. A Geely base station in the Xinjiang region's city of Korla confirmed the satellites are functioning properly.