BEIJING (PTI): China plans to develop its own independent global satellite navigation system by 2015, which will make it the third world power to develop such a Global Positioning System (GPS).
The Beidou navigation system which will have both military as well as civil applications will arm Chinese aircraft and satellite systems, the official Xinhua new agency reported today quoting a senior space official.
China plans to send 10 navigation satellites into the space between 2009 and 2010 for the purpose, said Zhang Xiaojin, director of astronautics department with China Aerospace Science.
He said the plan was to establish a global navigation system consisting of more than 30 satellites by the year 2015, which will shake off country's dependence on foreign systems.
Currently, the US developed GPS is the world leader. The Russians have just launched their system called GLOSSNOS and the European Union have Galileo Positioning System.
US's GPS has been widely used for commercial navigation in vehicles, cell phones and other civilian devices in China.
Chinese civilian and military users could be guided by their own satellites worldwide after the Beidou becomes the world's fourth edition of global navigation systems.
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