Chinese satellite provides navigation service
December 27th, 2011 - 2:29 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, Dec 27 (IANS) China’s indigenous Beidou Navigation Satellite System began providing initial positioning and navigation services to China and its surrounding areas from Tuesday, an official 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 told a press conference.
China began to build the Beidou system in 2000 with a goal of breaking its dependence on the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and creating its own global positioning system by 2020, reported Xinhua.
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 launches navigation satellite - Jul 27, 2011
- China launches competitor to GPS - Apr 12, 2011
- China launches satellite for indigenous global navigation - Apr 10, 2011
- China launches fourth satellite - Jun 03, 2010
- China launches sixth navigation satellite - Nov 01, 2010
- China launches two satellites - Apr 30, 2012
- China's GPS system goes online - Dec 28, 2011
- China launches orbiter for global navigation system - Jan 17, 2010
- China launches new navigation satellite - Aug 01, 2010
- China launches new satellite - Jun 03, 2010
- China launches one more satellite - Jul 30, 2011
- China plans to launch 30 satellites in 2012 - Jan 18, 2012
- China satellite navigation industry to see high growth - May 27, 2011
- China to launch 2nd navigation satellite on Wednesday - Apr 13, 2009
- Russia may spend $12 bn on satellite navigation system - Feb 08, 2012
Tags: asia pacific region, beidou, beijing, beta version, china, chinese satellite, dependence, global navigation satellite systems, global positioning system, global positioning system gps, interface control document, navigation satellite system, navigation service, navigation services, orbit, research and development, satellites, spokesman, xinhua