China's homegrown navigation satellite network starts providing services

[ChineseTiger1986]

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's homegrown Beidou Navigation Satellite System began providing initial positioning, navigation and timing operational services to China and its surrounding areas from Tuesday, a spokesman for the system said.

Six more satellites will be launched in 2012 to further improve the Beidou system and expand its service area to cover most parts of the Asia-Pacific region, spokesman Ran Chengqi, who is also director of the management office of the China Satellite Navigation System, told a press conference.

China began to build the Beidou system in 2000 with a goal of breaking its dependence on the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) and creating its own global positioning system by 2020.

So far, China has launched 10 satellites for the Beidou system, with the tenth being lifted into orbit earlier this month.

The Beidou system is compatible and interoperable with the world's other major global navigation satellite systems, according to Ran.

Ran encouraged enterprises at home and abroad to join the research and development of application terminals compatible with Beidou, saying a beta version of the system's Interface Control Document (ICD) could be accessed online starting Tuesday.

China's homegrown navigation satellite network starts providing services - Xinhua | English.news.cn

 

[below_freezing]

Damn, this is a mighty big achievement for Koreans to match.

I think only Europeans, Americans, Russians and Chinese can have these achievements. That is because Koreans are more focused on what's really high tech: a consumer phone with a 0.1% brighter screen.

 

[haidian]

great news.soon China will dominate in every aspect.

 

[T90TankGuy]

nice !!! good going.

 

[haidian]

headline news in all Chinese media,it's a milestone for China!!

北斗系统可提高解放军作战效能100到1000倍
? 2011年12月27日13:11 法制晚报

Beidou Navigation Satellite System will boost PLA battle ability 1000 times

China satellite navigation system starts service
December 27, 2011 - 4:50PM

A Chinese rival to the U.S. global positioning system network has started providing services in China and the surrounding area.

The director of China's satellite navigation system office, Ran Chengqi, told reporters Tuesday that the Beidou navigation system is offering services including positioning, navigation routes and time.

Ran did not specify who the target users are, but he said Beidou would be available to Chinese and foreign companies for research and development.

Beidou will be available to much of the Asian-Pacific region by the end of 2012 and worldwide by 2020.

China, and especially its military, have long been wary of relying on the United States' dominant GPS network, fearing that Washington might take the system offline in a conflict or an emergency.

 

[Korean]

Damn, this is a mighty big achievement for Koreans to match.

No need to.

Korea utilizes Galileo navigation system for global coverage. China only decided to go alone because they were kicked out of Galileo system. The second, east asia only service by 2020.

 

[houshanghai]

LOL, the great cosmic powers ,Korea is incapable of sending up the own rocket now.

 

[haidian]

Is S.Korea technologically capable of launching and deploying dozens of satelites in the space??I highly doubt about it.

 

[Korean]

Is S.Korea technologically capable of launching and deploying dozens of satelites in the space??

This is not a high priority, even though the launcher is under development for first flight at the end of this decade. The progress is slow because everything must be developed locally.

In the mean time, there are a number of commercial launch services, so no problem as long as satellite themselves can be built in Korea.

 

[haidian]

This is not a high priority, even though the launcher is under development for first flight at the end of this decade. The progress is slow because everything must be developed locally.

In the mean time, there are a number of commercial launch services, so no problem as long as satellite themselves can be built in Korea.

ok,keep it up then.

 

[houshanghai]

This is not a high priority, even though the launcher is under development for first flight at the end of this decade. The progress is slow because everything must be developed locally.

In the mean time, there are a number of commercial launch services, so no problem as long as satellite themselves can be built in Korea.

i know you Koreans like to light Naro brand of firecrackers

KSLV-1 "Naro-1" Second Test Flight EXPLODED after lift off (HD) - YouTube

 

[Rafi]

Well done to our friends in the PRC.

 

[VCheng]

That is an important advance indeed for China. Well done.

 

[haidian]

that's a milestone,now China has her own eyes and ears in the space.

 

[VCheng]

that's a milestone,now China has her own eyes and ears in the space.

It is a milestone, but the real advantages are on Earth: increased efficiency due to accurate geolocation being a prime example. Military uses are another important advantage.

(These satellites do not serve as eyes and ears; China has other satellites for that. )