BEIJING – Pakistan’s reliance on US satellite navigation statement GPS endsas now China’s domestically developed Beidou Navigation Satellite Systemhas started to cover entire Pakistan.
China launched a pair of navigation satellites yesterday afternoon, movingcloser to building a global network.
The 28th and 29th satellites in the domestically developed BeidouNavigation Satellite System, one of the nation’s largest space programs,were lifted atop a Long March 3B carrier rocket at the Xichang SatelliteLaunch Center.
They are the fifth and sixth in the third-generation of Beidou satellite.They will conduct in-orbit tests and then be connected with the previousfour third-generation Beidou satellites, said a statement from the ChinaSatellite Navigation Office.
In November, the first two third-generation Beidou satellites were launchedat the Xichang center. In January, another two were lifted at the samecenter.
Beidou is the world’s fourth space-based navigation system, following GPSby the United States, GLONASS by Russia and Galileo by the European Union.
Since 2000, when the first Beidou satellite was placed in space, 33satellites have been launched for the network. The Beidou system beganproviding positioning, navigation, timing and message services to civilianusers in China and parts of the Asia-Pacific region in December 2012.
By the end of this year, 18 third-generation Beidou satellites would beplaced into orbit and they will work with the earlier generations to coverall nations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, the satellite officesaid.
The Belt and Road Initiative, a far-reaching development plan proposed byPresident Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt, whichwill link China with Europe through Central and Western Asia, and the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road, which stretches from southern China toSoutheast Asia and farther to Africa. The initiative is estimated tobenefit about 4.4 billion people in 65 nations, according to the government.
By now, Beidou has covered nearly 30 countries involved in the initiative,including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia, the office noted.In 2019 and 2020, China will send six third-generation Beidou satellitesinto medium Earth orbits, three to inclined geosynchronous satellite orbitsand two to geostationary orbits.
According to plans from the satellite office, the network will be made upof 35 satellites before the end of 2020-several now in orbit will bedecommissioned by then-to give Beidou global coverage.