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4/23/09

NetworkWorld: China launches satellite for positioning system to compete with European Galileo and US GPS system - by Owen Fletcher

China Lauching Compass - picture courtesy Xinhua-News-Agency


For the complete report from Network World click on this link

China launches satellite for positioning system to compete with European Galileo and US GPS system - by Owen Fletcher

China launched a satellite marking a new phase of deployment for its global positioning network aimed at ending reliance on similar foreign systems early Wednesday morning. Beidou II, the first "network deployment" satellite in a positioning system called Compass, blasted off from mountainous Sichuan province in the country's west, according to the China National Space Administration's Web site. The satellite will be able to provide positioning, speed measurement and time services to China and surrounding areas, the statement said.China's positioning system, the equivalent of Galileo in Europe or GPS in the U.S., will compete for commercial contracts but is also meant to prevent military reliance on foreign communications systems.

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