Page 85 - SAMENA Trends - October-December 2024

SATELLITE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

China to Launch Next-Generation Beidou Satellites in 2027

China has announced a strategic roadmap for advancing its Beidou adoption and certain technological benchmarks. Meanwhile, U.S.
positioning and navigation system by 2035, in a move which efforts to modernize GPS face delays and technical challenges,
could have global implications. The country plans to complete according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. An
key technology research for the next-generation Beidou system improved, next-generation Beidou could see China far surpass the
by 2025 and launch three test satellites around 2027, according U.S. and others in PNT capabilities. This could see it become the
to the “Beidou Satellite Navigation System Development Plan most favored system, expanding its commercial and economic
before 2035,” released by the China Satellite Navigation System influence, position China as a provider of global public goods
Management Office (CNSO) Nov. 28. The next generation of and enhance its soft power, and provide enhanced military
Beidou system networking satellites will then be launched around capabilities. This effort aligns with China’s broader national
2029. The construction of the next-generation Beidou system will initiative for a Space-Ground Integrated Information Network
be completed by 2035. China already has a 30-satellite Beidou (SGIIN), which aims to merge communications, remote sensing,
system providing positioning, navigation and timing services navigation, weather forecasting, and other satellite services into a
globally. It features 24 satellites in medium Earth orbits, with unified system. Beidou’s integration into SGIIN would potentially
eight in each plane, excluding backups. There are three Beidou enhance its utility and further solidify its role in global satellite
satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbits and three satellites infrastructure. China is planning at least two low Earth orbit
in geostationary orbits. The upgraded Beidou system will use megaconstellations for communications, and has already built
satellites in high (likely referring to geosynchronous), medium up remote sensing infrastructure in orbit through its Gaofen
and low Earth orbits, according to the report. The new system will and Yaogan systems. China launched its first Beidou satellite in
provide real-time, high-precision, and highly reliable navigation, October 2000. The final pair of backup Beidou-3 satellites—the
positioning, and timing services across Earth and near-Earth 59th and 60th launched during the program—launched on a Long
spaces, with accuracy ranging from meter-level to decimeter-level, March 3B rocket in September.
according to state media Global Times. The system will support
user terminals spanning from Earth’s surface to deep space, and
integrate with other non-satellite-based navigation and timing
technologies. Beidou, like the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS)
and other systems from Europe and Russia, are used for civilian
applications such as driving, aviation, and maritime navigation
worldwide, as well as supporting industry, agriculture and finance.
They also have military applications through precision-guided
munitions, UAVs, and battlefield navigation. Notably, the system
is already widely considered to be superior to the GPS in some
areas. GPS’s capabilities are already “substantially inferior to
those of China’s Beidou,” according to the National Space-Based
Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (PNTAB). While
Beidou has unique advantages, such as two-way communication
and regional accuracy, GPS still dominates globally in terms of

China Establishes Aerospace Information, Satellite Internet Innovation Alliance

China established an aerospace infor- alliance is poised to drive international related industries. The alliance will actively
mation and satellite internet innovation exchange, academic dialogue and techno- engage in international exchanges and
alliance in the Xiong'an New Area in logical innovation – thereby bolstering cooperation, creating a dynamic innovation
north China's Hebei Province, marking the aerospace information industry and environment focused on joint technology
a significant step forward in the collab- satellite internet initiatives. The alliance development, resource sharing and
orative development of the aerospace aims to meet innovative development ecosystem collaboration. It is committed
information field. Led by the country's key needs by rallying resources and strengths to providing robust scientific and techno-
centrally-administered state-owned enter- across industry, academia, research and logical support to help implement national
prises and involving telecommunications practical applications. It will build an strategies in the aerospace and satellite
operators, universities, research institutes, open platform for innovation, fostering internet sectors.
private enterprises and field experts, the the popularization and advancement of

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