China launches first navigation satellite

[Cheetah786]

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China has launched its first navigation satellite in nearly four years, taking a step forward in its drive to develop a positioning system intended to eventually rival Washington’s GPS and Europe's Galileo.

The successful launch on Saturday of the “Beidou� navigation satellite, on board a Long March 3A rocket, underscores Beijing’s determination to develop its space industry.

It comes weeks after China prompted expressions of concern from the US by destroying one of its own ageing meteorological satellites with a missile-launched “kinetic kill vehicle�.

China’s plans for its satellite navigation system – known in English as “Compass� – have been shrouded in secrecy, with officials repeatedly declining to comment on their intentions. However, Saturday’s launch appears to be an effort to augment a relatively imprecise system based on three Beidou satellites launched between 2000 and 2003.

In a rare public discussion of Beijing’s plans, the official Xinhua news agency said in November that two geostationary satellites would be launched early this year, allowing the system to cover all of China and parts of neighbouring countries by 2008.

The Beidou system would expand to offer global coverage with the creation of a constellation of 30 medium earth orbit satellites, Xinhua said.

The agency gave no timing for this part of the system, similar to the GPS [Global Positioning System] built by the US and Eu*rope’s Galileo satellite network.

More precise positioning would be an important asset for China's armed forces. Some analysts have suggested the expanded Beidou system will use the same radio frequencies as Galileo and possibly GPS, making it more difficult for adversaries to jam the network in case of war.

Beidou’s development could pose a challenge to the commercial success of Galileo.

While China is a partner of the Galileo project and the government and companies are investing €200m ($260m) with related facilities and research into commercial applications, it is shaping up as a potential competitor.

The Chinese embassy in Brussels said it was committed to the project to improve political ties, learn from European know-how and provide greater competition.

Xinhua said in November that Beijing would provide open access to Beidou signals allowing positioning accuracy within 10m.

Operation of the €3bn-plus Galileo, which will has 30 satellites, has been postponed until 2011 because of technical problems and delays in the public-private partnership needed to build it. :army:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/5de699fe-b47...0779e2340.html

[genmirajborgza786]

great news china's entry into space is a prove of its technological capabalities and is a big slap on the face of some hot shots who's narrow minded nature produced by an penny pocket full of aid by some western block when they underestimate Chinese technology truth be told these pseudo-intellectual critic's have nothing better to because their brain's are filled with "JUNK" !

ONCE AGAIN MY HEARTH FELT CONGRATULATION'S & WAY TO GO CHINA:ChinaFlag: & LONG LIVE SINO PAK FRIENDSHIP:ChinaFlag: :flag: :army:

[Neo]

The Beidou system would expand to offer global coverage with the creation of a constellation of 30 medium earth orbit satellites, Xinhua said.

The agency gave no timing for this part of the system, similar to the GPS [Global Positioning System] built by the US and Eu*rope’s Galileo satellite network.

Aerospace development over the last decade has been impressive in China but I still think that challenging the hyper modern Gallileo system is bit too ambitious, it might take more than a decade to refine the technology and launch a network of 30 medium earth orbit satellites.

More precise positioning would be an important asset for China's armed forces. Some analysts have suggested the expanded Beidou system will use the same radio frequencies as Galileo and possibly GPS, making it more difficult for adversaries to jam the network in case of war.

A foresee a great opportunity for our missile defence system here in near future.

:ChinaFlag: :flag:

[A.Rahman]

any Idea when they are gonna shoot it down ?

[WebMaster]

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any Idea when they are gonna shoot it down ?

Shoot what? The Indian Satellites? I dont think they will, unless it spies on China, which i am pretty sure they did when they succesfully launched theirs. Thats why i think China tested their anti-satellite warhead in order to give a warning.