(People’s Daily Online) 07:18, February 12, 2015
The Beidou Navigation Satellite System – China’s independently developedglobal navigation satellite system (GNSS) – will have a constellation of 35satellites and be ready to provide global users with geo-positioning by 2020,according to Xinhuanet.com reports.
By 2020, China will be the third country to provide a GNSS, said Lei Fanpei,chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. He is incharge of research and development and manufacturing of satellites androckets for Beidou.
In the next decade, the Beidou system will have five geostationary orbitsatellites and 30 non-geostationary satellites, Lei said, adding that it will beable to provide highly precise and reliable positioning and navigationservices to users.
“Completion of the system will help nurture a satellite navigation industrychain, producing economic and social benefits in diversified fields, includingmapping, telecommunications and disaster relief,” said Lei.
PLA drill applies China’s own GPS
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) finished a two-day drill on Friday,testing application of the Beidou system in combat in south China’s GuangxiZhuang Autonomous Region.
The military used the system for precise positioning and navigating, real-time location reporting and data transmission over long distances,according to a news release from the PLA General Staff Headquarters.
It said that Beidou has allowed the armies to achieve greater precision incommand, weapon firing, and logistics, and that the technology “has beenintegrated into the PLA’s modern command system and weapon platform”.
Beidou is the Chinese equivalent of the United States’ NAVSTAR GlobalPositioning System and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System.Currently, Beidou owns 20 satellites.