Industry $156 billion from BeiDou satellite

The value of the Beidou satellite navigation industry is estimated to reach 1 trillion yuan ($156 billion) by 2025, Xinhua said.

A model of the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System is displayed at the 12th China International Aviation and Space Exhibition in Zhuhai city, Guangdong province. (Photo: AP) Citing Yang Jun, deputy director of the China Satellite Navigation Office at a conference, Xinhua News Agency said that the country’s satellite navigation industry is worth more than 400 billion yuan in 2020, growing at a steady rate 20% year. China officially commissioned the Beidou 3 (BDS) system last July at a commemorative event attended by President Xi Jinping. As Beijing continues to invest in becoming a space power, Beidou is expected to be able to rival the GPS of the US and the Galileo of Europe. Launched in 1994, China’s Beidou project arose from the military’s need for its own satellite navigation system, replacing the US Department of Defense’s GPS. In particular, in 1996, a serious incident occurred when the Chinese military lost track of two missiles in the Taiwan Strait, possibly due to sudden GPS interruption. Since then, Beijing has invested heavily in Beidou to ensure an independent and stable satellite navigation system to guide missiles and bombs. The first BeiDou satellites were launched in 2000 and are now in their third generation, and are also commercially available. China actively promotes the use of BDS in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in the Belt and Road Initiative countries. Beidou-related products are exported to more than 120 countries and regions, serving about 100 million users globally, according to Xinhua. BeiDou features are integrated in many popular smartphones. As a two-way communication system, Bac Dau allows compatible devices to send data to satellites, exchange text messages between two users, and track location in case of emergencies. Domestically, more than 7 million personal vehicles, 36,300 delivery and postal vehicles, 1,400 state-owned ships and 350 aircraft are using BDS. However, BDS also has its shortcomings. Last month, a truck driver in Hubei committed suicide after he was fined 2,000 yuan (US$305) because the vehicle’s BDS system was found to be disconnected during a routine inspection. Other drivers also filed complaints on the Hubei government website for similar disconnection problems. Du Lam (According to SCMP)