China Launch Beidou GPS Rival System

[RobBrady]

China has started operating and offering navigational data from its own satellite navigation system for the first time.

The new system, named Beidou, is part of China's plans to create a rival to the US run Global Positioning System (GPS). So far there are 10 Beidou satellites in operation, but a further 25 satellites are in the pipeline to launch.

A total of six more satellites are planned to launch in 2012, which will allow for satellite coverage over most of Asia, with a full network planned to be 35 satellites strong by 2020.

Beidou now offers location, timing and navigation data to China and surrounding geographical destinations.

The new system promises to pinpoint a location to within 10 metres and measure speeds within 0.2 metres per second. It will also allow the Chinese military to receive more accurate data therefore reducing its reliance on the US's GPS system.

Beidou is, sources told the BBC, "compatible and interoperable with the world's other navigation systems".

Source: BBC

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Robert Brady

[pcaouolte]

[MaFt]

That probably means that it won't interfere with signals and won't crash into each other in space!

As far as I'm aware they use different frequencies to GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. Chip sets need updating to work with the different systems but more and more are already compatible with the three G's but I've not seen any mention Beidou yet. Maybe there will be more hybrid chip-sets including support for Beidou now it's actually broadcasting?

MaFt

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