In the aftermath of the Indian test of Agni V missile and the launch of RISAT-1 satellite, China has successfully lifted two satellites in to space that will support its Beidou global navigation and positioning network. The satellites were sent from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

China is planning to send three more satellites in to orbit this year as part of Beidou network, and is expecting to complete the system in 2020 with more than 30 orbiters. Presently the system is being used in China and the region.

The Chinese Beidou navigation system will be the equivalent of US Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia’s Glonass, and Europe’s Galileo.

The post China Launches 2 Satellites For Its Global Navigation System appeared first on Politact.

China reached a milestone in its space technology by launching trials for its Beidou satellite global positioning system. This will make it come closer to its only competitor US. If China successfully launches its 35 satellites as scheduled by 2020, it will be free from current dependence for navigation on the U.S. global positioning network (GPS) signals and Russia’s similar GLONASS system. This will be a breakthrough in the precision attack capability of the PLA.

This technology will be imperative for Chinese military, alongside the expanding surveillance, imaging and remote sensing satellites. China denies that the satellite network will pose a military threat.

China accelerated its efforts on space technology after 1996 when PLA found out that it could not track US aircraft on the Taiwan Strait. Though China still lags behind US and Russia in this technology, however, it is rapidly becoming state –of –the-art competitor in the space surveillance.

The post China Nearing A Key Milestone In Space Technology appeared first on Politact.

China launched an orbiter into space Wednesday at around 5.45 am Beijing Time, as part of its satellite positioning and navigation network called Beidou (compass system), sources at the launch center announced. The orbiter, which was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was boosted into a geostationary orbit by the Long March-3A carrier rocket. Beijing started developing its own satellite navigation system in 2000 to end reliance on the American Global Positioning System (GPS).

The post China Launches Ninth Orbiter for International Navigation appeared first on Politact.