[Those things in China] US media： China’s Beidou navigation adds two more stars ＂Space Silk Road＂ will soon serve the ＂Belt and Road Initiative＂

On October 15, China successfully launched two Beidou-3 global networking satellites. Image source: Screenshot of the report of The Next Web website

　　China Daily Network, October 16. At 12:23 on October 15, China successfully launched the 39th and 40th Beidou navigation satellites at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the form of "one arrow and two satellites". According to the plan, two medium-circle earth orbit satellites and one geosynchronous orbit satellite will be launched in the future, and the basic system will be completed by the end of this year to provide services to countries related to the "Belt and Road Initiative".

　　According to the US science and technology website The Next Web News Network reported on the 15th, the successful launch of the Beidou binary satellite is of great significance **. China has developed the Beidou satellite navigation system not only to meet its maintenance ****, but also to develop the social economy. According to reports, the positioning accuracy of the Beidou satellite navigation system can reach 2.5 meters, which is better than the US GPS with a positioning accuracy of 20 meters. Therefore, the Beidou satellite navigation system has important strategic significance.

　　Beidou satellite navigation system has a wide range of application fields, including communication, mapping and geographic information, meteorological monitoring, disaster relief and mitigation, emergency search and rescue, and even plays a crucial role in China’s unmanned technology.

　　The Beidou satellite navigation system not only benefits China, but also other countries. There are three types of Beidou satellite navigation systems: Beidou-1, which is the first generation of Beidou system, can provide nationwide timing and navigation and positioning services; Beidou-2 services cover the Asia-Pacific region; and the upcoming Beidou-3 can provide services to countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative".

On October 15, 2018, China successfully launched two Beidou-3 global networking satellites. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Liang Keyan)

　　The Beidou satellite navigation system has been in development for a long time. As early as the 1980s, China planned to develop its own navigation system and officially started construction in 1994. In 2000, the first generation Beidou navigation satellite (Beidou-1) was launched into space.

　　China plans to launch 35 satellites in medium-circular earth orbit from a distance of 22,000 kilometers by 2020. In addition, it will launch another five satellites in geosynchronous orbit with an altitude of 35,786 kilometers and three satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbit. The 39th and 40th Beidou navigation satellites just launched are also the 15th and 16th networking satellites of the Beidou-3 system.

　　Over the years, the Beidou satellite navigation system has become increasingly important to the "Belt and Road Initiative" initiative. In 2014, the China Satellite Global Service Alliance (ASAS) called it the "Space Silk Road", a project aimed at using satellites, launch services and ground infrastructure to support related industries and service providers around the world. At present, the demand for satellite services is increasing year by year, and the continuous development of Beidou satellite navigation system can be described as the right time.

　　Thanks to the development of smart technologies such as wearable devices, the Internet of Things, drones, and driverless cars, the market for global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) is currently quite prosperous, including products and services that enable positioning functions.

　　According to the Global Navigation Satellite System Market Report released in 2017, the number of GNSS navigation devices (mainly smartphones) in the Asia-Pacific region will grow from 1.90 billion in 2015 to 4.30 billion by 2025, exceeding the sum of the European Union and North America, and is therefore expected to be the main driver of market growth in this field.

　　In 2016, the output value of China’s GNSS and positioning services market reached 33.24 billion yuan. With the continued role of satellites such as the Beidou navigation system, the output value of this industry in China is expected to grow to 62 billion yuan by 2020.