(Left) BeiDou logo (Right) Proposed coverage (via wiki)
The global positioning system (GPS) commonly used around the world by civilians and industries alike is a system owned and maintained by the United States government. It was developed in 1973 to create a superior navigation system and was originally used by the military. The system was set to use 24 satellites, which were not all, launched until 1994, and by that time it had been determined that civilians would have free access to the system as a common good. However, due to GPS being owned solely by the U.S. Government, some nations have been looking to create their own navigation systems to create a sense of independence and eliminate the possibility of being denied access to GPS.
China has currently been one of the first nations to create this independent system, which when completed would rival GPS in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), also known as Compass, is not expected to be fully completed until 2020, however it is already available to provide a limited range of coverage to the public. As of now, the system can send signals to the Asian Pacific region and reach as far south as Australia. In addition, the features currently offered are positioning with an accuracy of 10 meters, velocity tracking with an accuracy of 0.2 meters per second and one-way timing with an accuracy of 50 nanoseconds. The system uses four experimental satellites along with 16 navigational satellites.
According to an editorial published in Global Times newspaper, “Having a satellite navigation system is of great strategic significance. China has a large market, where the BeiDou system can benefit both the military and civilians. With increases in profit, the BeiDou system will be able to eventually develop into a global navigation system which can compete with GPS.”
China currently has ambitious plans to make itself an accomplished space technology country. They are hoping that within the next few years BDS will have eroded the 95% of market shares GPS currently holds in the region. Along with BDS, China also plans on having a space station built by the end of the decade and send astronauts to the moon. BeiDou will be joining the satellites currently in space for America's GPS, Russia's GLONASS, and Europe's work in progress, Galileo. With all the space junk and satellites now cruising around Earth it is a surprise to me they continue to dodge each other rather than crash into one another.
Cabe