• China launches rival GPS satellite system.
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[quote] [quote] [IMG]http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2012/chinaslongma.jpg[/IMG] ============================================================ This file photo shows a China's Long March rocket blasting off from the Jiuquan launch centre in Gansu province, on September 29, 2011. China has launched commercial and public services across the Asia-Pacific region on its domestic satellite navigation network built to rival the US global positioning system. [/quote] [B]China has launched commercial and public services across the Asia-Pacific region on its domestic satellite navigation network built to rival the US global positioning system.[/B] The Beidou, or compass, system started providing services to civilians in the region on Thursday and is expected to provide global coverage by 2020, state media reported. Ran Chengqi, spokesman for the China Satellite Navigation Office said the system's performance was "comparable" to GPS, the China Daily said. "Signals from Beidou can be received in countries such as Australia," he said. It is the latest accomplishment in space technology for China, which aims to build a space station by the end of the decade and eventually send a manned mission to the moon. China sees the multi-billion-dollar programme as a symbol of its rising global stature, growing technical expertise, and the Communist Party's success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation. The Beidou system comprises 16 navigation satellites and four experimental satellites, the paper said. Ran added that the system would ultimately provide global navigation, positioning and timing services. The start of commercial services comes a year after Beidou began a limited positioning service for China and adjacent areas. [quote] [IMG]http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2012/thisnasafile.jpg[/IMG] ============================================================ This NASA file image shows the Great Wall of China and Inner Mongolia, photographed by Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao on the ISS, on April 22, 2009. China has launched commercial and public services across the Asia-Pacific region on its own domestic satellite navigation network, built to rival the US global positioning system. [/quote] China began building the network in 2000 to avoid relying on GPS. "Having a satellite navigation system is of great strategic significance," the Global Times newspaper, which has links to the Communist Party, said in an editorial. "China has a large market, where the Beidou system can benefit both the military and civilians," the paper said. "With increases in profit, the Beidou system will be able to eventually develop into a global navigation satellite system which can compete with GPS." In a separate report, the paper said satellite navigation was seen as one of China's "strategic emerging industries". Sun Jiadong, the system's chief engineer, told the 21st century Business Herald newspaper that as Beidou matures it will erode GPS's current 95 percent market share in China, the Global Times said. Morris Jones, an independent space analyst based in Sydney, Australia, said that making significant inroads into that dominance anywhere outside China is unlikely. "GPS is freely available, highly accessed and is well-known and trusted by the world at large," he told AFP. "It has brand recognition and has successfully fought off other challenges." Morris described any commercial benefits China gains as "icing on the cake" and that the main reason for developing Beidou is to protect its own national security given the possibility US-controlled GPS could be cut off. "It's that possibility, that they could be denied access to GPS, that inspires other nations to develop their own system that would be free of control by the United States," he said. "At a time of war you do not want to be denied" access, he said. The Global Times editorial, while trumpeting Beidou as "not a second-class product or a carbon-copy of GPS" still appeared to recognise its limitations, at least in the early stages. "Some problems may be found in its operation because Beidou is a new system. Chinese consumers should ... show tolerance toward the Beidou system," it said. ============================================================ Source: [URL]http://phys.org/news/2012-12-china-rival-gps-satellite.html[/URL] [/quote] United States has [B]GPS[/B] European Union is putting up [B]Gallileo[/B]. China is putting up [B]Compass ([/B]BeiDou-2[B]).[/B] India is putting up [B]Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System.[/B]
Good I guess, this means that if the US ends up in a war or something and turns off the GPS system, we can still use china's. More countries should do this so we have a reliable system that's not depending on the diplomatic state of a single country.
The more the better! The world should not rely on one country for providing accurate navigation. I don't know much about the GPS-like things but it appears they all operate in different ways which is a pain. I guess the ideal solution would be people launching GPS compatible satellites. Seriously GPS is used in way too much stuff for it to come down to one country, it should be managed by a non government body, in the same way IPs are handed out.
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;39009838]Don't Russia have their own too, GLONASS?[/QUOTE] yes it does and its as good as the GPS.
Given that it's China, it would surprise me greatly if the Chinese govt didn't have the power to shut this down on moment's notice. I'll put my trust in GPS until Galileo is activated.
Yup Russia has GLONASS which together with the GPS are the only two that has global coverage. The Chinese system currently only covers Asia. And funny thing, China invested $300 million into the Gallileo, but after some minor problems (like China working on their own system) they got booted and their cash not returned back.
My phone supports both GLONASS and GPS, its amazingly accurate. I can't really see the need for these regional systems if there are already 2 and soon 3 tried and tested systems with global coverage and a great deal of accuracy.
The more the merrier, I guess. Friendly competition might provide an incentive to improve technology; Galileo is already supposed to provide more accurate results than GPS.
It's cool to see China really advancing as a country. Hopefully reforms come soon in regards to labor and such, I'd love to see what China could do as a more free country.
Here I was thinking that North Korea was ambitious. Knowing China it could be ANYTHING.
[QUOTE=maurits150;39009371]Good I guess, this means that if the US ends up in a war or something and turns off the GPS system, we can still use china's. More countries should do this so we have a reliable system that's not depending on the diplomatic state of a single country.[/QUOTE] Why would you ever turn off GPS?
[QUOTE=Bradyns;39009270]United States has [B]GPS[/B] European Union is putting up [B]Gallileo[/B]. China is putting up [B]Compass ([/B]BeiDou-2[B]).[/B] India is putting up [B]Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System.[/B][/QUOTE] You forgot the soviet GLONASS [QUOTE=FunnyBunny;39011924]Why would you ever turn off GPS?[/QUOTE] A lot of missile system and military tech use GPS navigation for well navigation. By encrypting it during wartime you essentially are able to limit the enemies access to it. Don't forget that the military has access to better "definition" and are able to pinpoint much more precisely. Faster as well I think.
[QUOTE=maurits150;39009371]Good I guess, this means that if the US ends up in a war or something and turns off the GPS system, we can still use china's. More countries should do this so we have a reliable system that's not depending on the diplomatic state of a single country.[/QUOTE] Actually GPS would not be disabled in the event of a war, at least usually. It would be rendered incapable of military significance by scrambling civilian signals so that their accuracy is in terms of kilometers, not meters. This is a function that was built into GPS well before anything like its commercial release was even close to be allowed. [editline]28th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Amiga OS;39009838]Don't Russia have their own too, GLONASS?[/QUOTE] The EU is also trying to make one [editline]28th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=wraithcat;39011932] A lot of missile system and military tech use GPS navigation for well navigation. By encrypting it during wartime you essentially are able to limit the enemies access to it. Don't forget that the military has access to better "definition" and are able to pinpoint much more precisely. Faster as well I think.[/QUOTE] Yes the military and civilian bands use different encryption so the civ one can be fucked at will if need be
[QUOTE=wraithcat;39011932] A lot of missile system and military tech use GPS navigation for well navigation. By encrypting it during wartime you essentially are able to limit the enemies access to it. Don't forget that the military has access to better "definition" and are able to pinpoint much more precisely. Faster as well I think.[/QUOTE] There's actually limits on civilian use of the GPS. If an enemy uses the GPS, I'm guessing you're assuming they're using the civilian version. It got some speed and altitude limits I thinik.
[QUOTE=wraithcat;39011932]You forgot the soviet GLONASS A lot of missile system and military tech use GPS navigation for well navigation. By encrypting it during wartime you essentially are able to limit the enemies access to it. Don't forget that the military has access to better "definition" and are able to pinpoint much more precisely. Faster as well I think.[/QUOTE] You're probably talking about [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_Availability#Selective_availability"]selective availability[/URL], which intentionally degrades positioning data to those without the error correction keys. It's been turned off since 2000 and the next generation of gps satellites aren't including it.
Cant wait till I get a Navigator/Phone that supports GPS, GLONASS and Bei-Dou. GPS+Glonass on the SGS3 is pretty damn accurate. Compared to phones with just GPS support.
So accurate, you can see the atom you are standing on!
[QUOTE=Map in a box;39012621]So accurate, you can see the atom you are standing on![/QUOTE] Shit, you can stand on individual [I]atoms?[/I]
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;39011924]Why would you ever turn off GPS?[/QUOTE] Hello I am North Korea, I am going to attack America using my new ICBM. I use GPS for navigation. [editline]29th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=wraithcat;39011932] A lot of missile system and military tech use GPS navigation for well navigation. By encrypting it during wartime you essentially are able to limit the enemies access to it. Don't forget that the military has access to better "definition" and are able to pinpoint much more precisely. Faster as well I think.[/QUOTE] They don't Clinton got rid of that, and the newer satellites do not have the ability to be turned off. The protection comes from an agreement between the US government and the people who make the actual GPS chips, they turn off above certain heights and over certain speeds. [editline]29th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Swebonny;39012299]There's actually limits on civilian use of the GPS. If an enemy uses the GPS, I'm guessing you're assuming they're using the civilian version. It got some speed and altitude limits I thinik.[/QUOTE] 1900kmh above 18km. The idea is you cannot use it on an ICBM at all.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;39012729]Shit, you can stand on individual [I]atoms?[/I][/QUOTE] New fangled tech
Can't wait to see if this goes global, and considering it being MEO and GEO based instead of LEO based like GPS it wouldn't require as many satellites. On the contrary because of this their system is inaccurate at high speed *Very high* due to latency issues.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;39012299]There's actually limits on civilian use of the GPS. If an enemy uses the GPS, I'm guessing you're assuming they're using the civilian version. It got some speed and altitude limits I thinik.[/QUOTE] Yeah but let's be honest, if you have the capability to build an missile that can reach suborbital altitudes and strike another continent, you can easily rewrite the 60,000 ft limit in the software.
china will be the next super power if it already isn't
[QUOTE=FunnyBunny;39024035]Yeah but let's be honest, if you have the capability to build an missile that can reach suborbital altitudes and strike another continent, you can easily rewrite the 60,000 ft limit in the software.[/QUOTE] Its not in the software, its actually in the GPS receiver chip. Then again, it must be just as simple in the manufacturing process to remove the limit.
[QUOTE=Jsm;39024289]Its not in the software, its actually in the GPS receiver chip. Then again, it must be just as simple in the manufacturing process to remove the limit.[/QUOTE] I think it's a bit more than just "removing" something from a chip. I mean, I think we're underestimating USA a bit here.
[QUOTE=Swebonny;39024644]I think it's a bit more than just "removing" something from a chip. I mean, I think we're underestimating USA a bit here.[/QUOTE] The American's set the limit, they don't say how to enforce it (evident by the fact that some enforce it correctly as AND whereas others incorrectly enforce it as OR). I think they could manage to do it if they really wanted to.
those ching-chong bastards are stealing our jobs!!!!! [sp] I'm joking. [/sp]
Let's shoot it down before they send their space commie rockets!
[QUOTE=scout1;39011969]Actually GPS would not be disabled in the event of a war, at least usually. It would be rendered incapable of military significance by scrambling civilian signals so that their accuracy is in terms of kilometers, not meters. This is a function that was built into GPS well before anything like its commercial release was even close to be allowed. [editline]28th December 2012[/editline] The EU is also trying to make one [editline]28th December 2012[/editline] Yes the military and civilian bands use different encryption so the civ one can be fucked at will if need be[/QUOTE] When you are near military instillations in America, your gps signal is actually pretty bad. When I was at Fort Carson in Colorado, me and my dad were trying to find food using our gps and we were never shown at our actual location. Either is scrambled or there is too much interference.
Could a device use multiple navigation satellite systems at the same time for greater accuracy?
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