At 19:45 on November 5, our country successfully launched two Beidou-3 global networking satellites with the Long March-3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
Photograph by Yang Zhiyuan (People’s Vision)
Xichang, November 5 (Reporter Yu Jianbin) At 19:45 on November 5, our country successfully launched the 24th and 25th Beidou navigation satellites in the way of "one arrow and two stars" with the Long March 3B carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. These two satellites belong to the medium-circle earth orbit satellites and are the first and second networking satellites of our country’s Beidou-3, opening a new era of global networking of the Beidou satellite navigation system.
After the satellite is put into orbit, it can provide services to the outside world after testing and network access verification. The first launch of the Beidou-3 global networking satellite will steadily promote the construction of the Beidou-3 system, accelerate the Beidou system to serve the world as soon as possible, and benefit all mankind. The Beidou-3 satellite will add better performance interoperable signals, and provide satellite-based enhancement services and search and rescue services in accordance with international standards on the basis of further improving the basic navigation service capabilities. At the same time, higher performance rubidium atomic clocks and hydrogen atomic clocks will also be used. On the basis of the performance of Beidou-2, the Beidou-3 will further improve the positioning accuracy by 1 to 2 times, reaching the level of 2.5 meters to 5 meters.
According to reports, the Beidou-3 project was officially launched in 2009. With the joint efforts of major systems and many participating research and test units, our country has comprehensively broken through the core key technologies of the system, completed ground verification, and basically solidified the satellite status. Since this mission, our country has ushered in a new round of Beidou networking satellite high-density launches. By the end of 2018, 18 Beidou-3 networking satellites will be launched, covering countries along the "Belt and Road Initiative"; by around 2020, more than 30 networking satellites will be launched to achieve global service capabilities.
On the battlefield, the three armies are in formation. The battle flags, warriors, war eagles, and chariots that have just come off the exercise field are reviewed by the Supreme Commander, and the meters are not bad;
The South China Sea is rough. Fishermen who have drifted here for generations to seek Mazu and make a living are now overlooking the motherland no matter which sea area or island they go to;
Wenchuan, landslides and ground cracks. There was no news from the epicenter for more than 20 hours. The troops who broke through the death line and arrived immediately sent out a short message of more than 100 words, with thousands of words…
These all originated from China’s "Beidou" soaring in the starry sky.
On November 5, the Beidou-3 global networking satellite "One Arrow and Two Stars" was successfully launched, ushering in a new era of global networking for the Beidou satellite navigation system.
Beidou has become a dazzling "national calling card" in contemporary China.
A great power weighs heavily, only self-reliance
Naming our country’s self-built satellite navigation system "Beidou" contains the sober and rejuvenated hope that China has experienced disasters since modern times: China’s destiny must be controlled by itself, and the heavy weapons of major powers must be built by itself.
In the 1990s, during the Gulf War, GPS-equipped precision strike weapons were first used on a large scale, and their combat effectiveness shocked the world, demonstrating the significance of satellite navigation systems to a country.
In 1994, with the country’s economic strength and technological foundation still very weak, the Party Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission decided to launch the Beidou-1 project to conduct satellite navigation experiments and explorations. At that time, the United States GPS and Russia GLONASS each launched more than 20 satellites and completed global networking.
Looking at the starry sky, the golden frequency band that is most suitable for satellite navigation has been fully occupied by the United States and Russia. At the same time, our country and the European Union, which hopes to build its own satellite navigation system, urge the ITU to squeeze out a small band of frequencies from the air navigation band to the maximum extent and provide satellite navigation for common use. This small band of frequencies is the most basic frequency requirement for building a global navigation system, and all countries can apply equally. On April 17, 2000, Beidou and Galileo systems were successfully declared at the same time. According to ITU rules, navigation satellites must be successfully launched within a valid period of 7 years.
There are only two paths before the Beidou people, one is to seek cooperation and share resources; the other is to develop independently and seize the initiative.
On the one hand, Beidou people are based on independent construction, and on the other hand, they actively seek international cooperation. However, for a big country like China, in cooperation related to the country’s major competitiveness, they do not have strong strength and core technologies, and it is often difficult to have reciprocal exchanges. Several rounds of spectrum cooperation negotiations with the European Union have progressed slowly.
In 2005, the European Union launched the first Galileo navigation satellite. At this time, there is less than 3 years left before the valid period of the frequency band applied for by Beidou. If a navigation satellite cannot be successfully launched within this period, the frequency band will only be spent by others. But the first Beidou navigation satellite is still under development.
The institutional advantage of concentrating on doing big things is once again highlighted. With the full cooperation of relevant industries, fields, units and personnel in the whole society, Beidou people fought against the backwater and reversed the construction period. They simply adjusted the first satellite originally scheduled to be launched at the end of 2007 to the end of February 2007, and completed all research and development work ahead of schedule.
In early April 2007, the first Beidou navigation satellite finally stood on the launch tower as scheduled. At 4:11 on April 14 of the same year, the satellite with an important mission was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and successfully entered the predetermined orbit. Two days later, at 20:00 on the 16th, Beijing finally received a clear signal from the satellite.
At this moment, the ITU-mandated deadline for frequency applications to lapse is less than four hours away.
China’s Beidou skyrocketed, catching the last train to build a global satellite navigation system.
Catch up later and break a new path
Breaking a new path is the confidence of the Chinese people. To build China’s Beidou, in this developing country, under the strict blockade of technology, it is impossible to follow the path of others. It is necessary to forge ahead and change lanes to overtake.
Pathfinder – The Beidou did not believe that there were impossible tasks, difficulties that could not be overcome, and enemies that could not be defeated. They faced the difficulties and "felt the stones to cross the river".
According to the principle of space positioning, at least 3 satellites are required to locate a target point on the earth; considering the time error, at least 4 satellites are required for accurate positioning. This is the working principle of GPS and GLONASS and the global networking scheme. If we follow this path to explore and test, with the comprehensive national strength of our country at that time, it is impossible to achieve.
Academician Chen Fangyun, one of the advocates of the "Two Bullets" and "863 Plan", creatively proposed the construction plan of "Double Star Positioning". This plan used China’s most mature aerospace technology at that time, with the smallest constellation, the least investment, and the shortest cycle, to achieve the independent and controllable construction of the satellite navigation system.
Paint the road – Building according to other people’s drawings is tantamount to cutting your feet and adapting to your feet. China’s Beidou is demand-driven and innovation-driven. Where it is urgently needed, where it is built first, it is used while building, and gradually extended…
Building a global navigation and positioning system requires at least 24 satellites, which took the United States and Russia more than 20 years. However, it is urgent to safeguard our country’s national sovereignty, security and development interests, and the practical needs of economic and social development are urgent.
Academician Sun Jiadong, the "Two Bombs Founder", the chief designer of the Dongfanghong No. 1 satellite, and the first chief designer of the Beidou Project, led the Beidou people to creatively propose a "step-by-step" strategy, first experimenting and then building, first domestic and then peripheral, first regional and then global.
The earth rotates "80,000 miles per day", and the navigation satellites fly around uninterrupted. To provide continuous and stable navigation services for a specific area on the ground, according to the single-orbit constellation configuration adopted by GPS and GLONASS, it cannot be realized until the global network is completed.
Beidou people once again pioneered the design of a hybrid constellation configuration. At the end of 2012, the Beidou-2 satellite navigation system composed of 14 satellites in geosynchronous orbit, inclined synchronous orbit and medium circular orbit was completed, enabling all-weather positioning and navigation services for most of the Asia-Pacific region.
By around 2020, when our country is fully built into a moderately prosperous society, all more than 30 Beidou-3 satellites will shine all over the world.
Road construction – human beings have an endless need for precision in time and space. To build a navigation system that meets the needs of the country and the people, the standards are high, there are many problems, and the foundation is weak.
Time accuracy is the lifeblood of satellite navigation, and navigation systems generally use atomic clocks to maintain time accuracy. In the past, only a few countries could manufacture high-precision atomic clocks. After all, the core technology had to rely on themselves. In less than two years, the spineless Beidou people independently developed atomic clocks with high stability. In 3 million, there was only one second error, completely breaking the monopoly of other countries.
Positioning accuracy is the life of a navigation system. Relying solely on satellites, the current positioning accuracy is mostly in the order of 10 meters. To further improve the accuracy, only work hard in the sky, and it is difficult to make a big breakthrough in the short term. Beidou people have found that the national meteorological, transportation, land and resources industries have built a large number of GPS reference stations, which can be turned into Beidou base stations through technological upgrades. Further new construction and adjustment of the optimized layout can be built to build a Beidou ground-based enhanced network with seamless coverage within the national territory. In 2017, more than 1,400 Beidou base stations were spread all over the country, and tens of thousands of sets of equipment formed a "one network" of stars and ground. The domestic positioning accuracy all reached the sub-meter level, and in some areas reached the decimeter level. The highest
In 2016, the Beidou-2 satellite project won the National Science and Technology Progress Award with 4 international firsts, 10 major technological innovations, 128 invention patents and 72 other intellectual property rights. China’s Beidou, a late bloomer, has successfully climbed to the top of innovation in major scientific and technological projects in our country.
Tuolu – Roads carry development and connect friendship. China’s Beidou upholds and practices the development concept of "World Beidou", and strives to serve the world and benefit mankind.
In the case that it is difficult to globally deploy ground stations to manage satellites, it is necessary to establish an inter-satellite link between satellites and realize satellite management. This is a cutting-edge technology in the field of world navigation, and it is also a difficult problem that must be solved in the construction of the Beidou-3 project. In August 2015, two global system test satellites established an inter-satellite link for the first time, marking that our country has mastered this internationally leading core technology.
To serve the world, we must integrate into the world. Three years ago, Beidou and GPS formally established a cooperation mechanism on the basis of reaching a consensus on frequency compatibility to jointly promote the development of civilian satellite navigation technology. Two years ago, Beidou and Galileo completed the coordination of satellite navigation frequencies. Not long ago, Beidou and GLONASS successfully conducted compatibility tests of the two systems, and the prospect of jointly building a satellite cluster with compatible use and higher accuracy is promising.
To serve the world, it must be used globally. After the completion of Beidou-2, while providing system services to the country, it will openly provide free services with positioning accuracy better than 10 meters, speed measurement accuracy better than 0.2 meters per second, and timing accuracy better than 50 nanoseconds to the Asia-Pacific region with latitude 55 degrees north and south, longitude 55 degrees east to 180 degrees east.
Around our country and along the "Belt and Road Initiative", Pakistan’s transportation and port management, Myanmar’s land planning and river transportation supervision, Laos’ fine agriculture, disease and pest disaster supervision, Brunei’s urban modernization, smart tourism… Beidou is providing heart-to-heart customized services; it has carried out exchanges and cooperation with Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries to formulate promotion measures, and built a small Beidou ground-based enhancement system demonstration network in Thailand… Beidou’s demonstrated Chinese mind and Chinese contribution continue to extend along with the "Space Silk Road".
Benefit the country and benefit the people, development never ends
The completion of Beidou is the strength of the whole country; the development of Beidou is the wisdom of the people; the application of Beidou is needed to benefit the people’s livelihood.
The weight of the country is beneficial to the country.
Missiles roar, warplanes roar, warships break waves, soldiers line up, Beidou follows, and the initiative of the battlefield and the growth of combat effectiveness are firmly in their own hands.
50,000 more than 4 million fishing boats and operating vehicles installed Beidou end point, civil aviation will also rely on Beidou to build aircraft global tracking system, traffic is more safe and controllable.
In Yunguichuan, Shaanxi and other places where geological disasters occur frequently, bridges, tunnels, slopes, and urban lighthouses, high-rise buildings, and old houses, Beidou monitors in real time, anticipates danger, and alarms in time, and the safety of people’s lives and property is more guaranteed.
In Xinjiang, Heilongjiang and other places with vast arable land, agricultural machinery is installed at the end point of Beidou, tractors are automatically cultivated along the line, drones are automatically sprayed with pesticides, the land use rate is increased by 5%, the rebroadcast accuracy rate is increased to 100%, and pesticides are saved by 40%.
In the 2015 "April 25" Nepal earthquake, Beidou "crossed" Hoh Xil and "crossed" Tanggula Mountain, guiding the rescue team to rush to help thousands of miles. On August 8 this year, the Jiuzhaigou earthquake in Sichuan Province, Beidou short message sent the disaster area situation to the emergency command center as soon as possible. In late August, the super typhoon "Tiange" raided Guangdong, and 347 fishing boats returned to Hong Kong safely under the guidance of Beidou… "Beidou call, God fell from the sky!" Faced with a sudden major disaster, Beidou opened a "door to life".
Things that benefit the people, silk hair will thrive.
Using Beidou positioning and network technology, the "Beidou cuisine" sold in the market can be tracked by scanning the QR code. In some places, fruit cultivation, animal husbandry, and even traditional Chinese medicine production have begun to use Beidou end points for traceability management and whole-process monitoring. The food and drug safety issues that ordinary people are concerned about are expected to be solved technically.
Open the "embedded" Beidou electronic map and car-hailing software, and travel is more convenient. Shared bicycles are parked indiscriminately, long-distance operation fatigue driving, speeding and crossing the line illegally, and the use of Beidou can be identified, located, supervised, and punished.
Using Beidou mobile phones, the elderly can immediately send a precise message by pressing the help button in case of an emergency; children wearing Beidou watches will receive an alarm signal once they leave the safe area. China’s "down-to-earth" Beidou has increasingly become a caring, convenient and reliable loyal and significant other and "patron saint".
Innovation engine with unlimited potential.
"Beidou + Logistics" "Beidou + Payment"… A new "Beidou +" production lifestyle has begun to emerge.
At present, Beidou’s high-precision positioning, high-precision timing, and short message sending functions have collided and integrated with the Internet, big data, cloud computing, and advanced "intelligent manufacturing", generating huge economic and social benefits. A complete Beidou industrial chain has begun to take shape: there are 14,000 enterprises engaged in Beidou development and application across the country, with nearly 450,000 employees and an overall output value of 211.80 billion yuan; in more than 70 countries and regions, it has attracted a large number of loyal "Beidou fans". "Independent innovation, unity and cooperation, tackling difficulties, and pursuing excellence", the spirit of Beidou has accumulated. The development of Beidou has far exceeded the design of the year, and the future will only be limited by imagination.
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