China plans own satellite navigation system by 2015: state media

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by Staff Writers
Beijing (AFP) Jan 19, 2009
China plans to complete its own satellite navigation system by 2015, making it independent of foreign technology such as the US-developed Global Positioning System (GPS), state media said Monday.

The Beidou Navigation System will enable military and civilian users from China to find their way anywhere in the world, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a senior space technology official.

"The system will shake off the dependence on foreign systems," said Zhang Xiaojin, director of astronautics at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

To this end, China aims to launch 30 more satellites into space by the middle of the next decade, on top of five satellites already in orbit, according to the agency. Ten satellites will be launched in 2009 and 2010, it said.

The five-satellite system in place so far only provides regional navigation services within China's own territory, Xinhua said.

The Beidou Navigation System is seen as a rival not just of the GPS, but also the European Union's Galileo Positioning System and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

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Fengyun-3A Weather Satellite Begins Weather Monitoring

Beijing (XNA) Jan 13, 2009China's new generation Fengyun-3A weather satellite started its round-the-clock operations on Monday, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

CNSA director Sun Laiyan said the transfer of the satellite to the China Meteorological Administration marked the birth of China's new generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites.

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