BeiDou

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a <a href="/facts/Satellite_navigation/lVgPlF5v">satellite-based radio navigation system</a> owned and operated by the <a href="/facts/China_National_Space_Administration/q3s4bGYt">China National Space Administration</a>. It provides geolocation and time information to a BDS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more BDS satellites. It does not require the user to transmit any data and operates independently of any telephonic or Internet reception, though these technologies can enhance the usefulness of the BDS positioning information; however, concerns have been raised about embedded malware leaking information in this way.
The current service, BeiDou-3 (third-generation BeiDou), provides full global coverage for timing and navigation, along with Russia's <a href="/facts/GLONASS/sLh1vQ6p">GLONASS</a>, the European <a href="/facts/Galileo_(satellite_navigation)/sPyWl594">Galileo</a>, and the US's <a href="/facts/Global_Positioning_System/DKVLnzF3">GPS</a>. It consists of satellites in three different orbits, including 24 satellites in medium-circle orbits (covering the world), 3 satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbits (covering the Asia-Pacific region), and 3 satellites in geostationary orbits (covering China). The BeiDou-3 system was fully operational in July 2020. In 2016, BeiDou-3 reached millimeter-level accuracy with post-processing.
Predecessors included BeiDou-1 (first-generation BeiDou), consisting of three satellites in a <a href="/facts/Regional_satellite_navigation_system/lVgPlF5v">regional satellite navigation system</a>. Since 2000, the system has mainly provided navigation services within China. In December 2012, as the design life of BeiDou-1 expired, it stopped operating.
The BeiDou-2 (second-generation BeiDou) system was also a regional satellite navigation system containing 16 satellites, including 6 geostationary satellites, 6 inclined geosynchronous orbit satellites, and 4 medium earth orbit satellites. In November 2012, BeiDou-2 began to provide users with regional positioning services in the <a href="/facts/Asia%E2%80%93Pacific/dXT0GTGR">Asia-Pacific region</a>. Within the region, BeiDou is more accurate than GPS.: 179 
In 2015, fifteen years after the satellite system was launched, it was generating a turnover of $31.5 billion per annum for major companies such as <a href="/facts/China_Aerospace_Science_and_Industry_Corporation/MfhqpApr">China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation</a>, <a href="/facts/AutoNavi/I0CLcea6">AutoNavi</a>, and <a href="/facts/Norinco/2wWtg6JI">Norinco</a>. The industry has grown an average of over 20% in value annually to reach $64 billion in 2020.

BeiDou open-in-new

BeiDou