The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)
#
2
GEO - INFORMATICS
ASSIGNMENT # 2 GEO-IFORMATICS BEIDOU NAV. SYSTEM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BeiDou: ........................................................................................................................................... 3
1) Nomenclature:...................................................................................................................... 4
2) History: ................................................................................................................................ 4
5) BeiDou-1: ............................................................................................................................. 7
i. Description: ...................................................................................................................... 7
v. Terminals:......................................................................................................................... 8
6) BeiDou-2: ............................................................................................................................. 8
i. Description: ...................................................................................................................... 8
ii. Accuracy........................................................................................................................... 9
v. Operation: ....................................................................................................................... 11
7) BeiDou-3: ........................................................................................................................... 12
8) Constellation: ..................................................................................................................... 14
BEIDOU:
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) (Chinese: 北斗卫星导航系统; pinyin: Běidǒu
Wèixīng Dǎoháng Xìtǒng [pèitòu wêiɕíŋ tàuxǎŋ ɕîtʰʊ̀ŋ]) is a Chinese satellite navigation system.
It consists of two separate satellite constellations. The first BeiDou system, officially called the
BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System and also known as BeiDou-1, consisted of
three satellites which, beginning in 2000, offered limited coverage and navigation services,
mainly for users in China and neighboring regions. BeiDou-1 was decommissioned at the end of
2012. On 23 June 2020, the final BeiDou satellite was successfully launched, the launch of the
55th satellite in the Beidou family. The third iteration of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System
promises to provide global coverage for timing and navigation, offering an alternative to Russia's
GLONASS, the European Galileo positioning system, and America's GPS.
According to China Daily, 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 China Aerospace
Science and Industry Corporation, AutoNavi Holdings Ltd., and China North Industries Group
Corp. The industry has grown an average of over 20% in value annually to reach $64 billion in
2020 according to Xinhua citing data.
Domestic industry reports forecast the satellite navigation service market output value, directly
generated and driven by the Beidou system, will be worth 1 trillion yuan ($156.22 billion) by 2025,
and $467 billion by 2035.
1) NOMENCLATURE:
The official English name of the system is BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. It is named after
the Big Dipper asterism, which is known in Chinese as Běidǒu (Chinese: 北斗). The name literally
means "Northern Dipper", the name given by ancient Chinese astronomers to the seven brightest
stars of the Ursa Major constellation. Historically, this set of stars was used in navigation to locate
the North Star. As such, the name BeiDou also serves as a metaphor for the purpose of the satellite
navigation system.
2) HISTORY:
The original idea of a Chinese satellite navigation system was conceived by Chen Fangyun and
his colleagues in the 1980s. The risk of denied access to GPS, including an alleged case in 1996
during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, gave impetus to the creation of BeiDou.
According to the China National Space Administration, in 2010, the development of the system
would be carried out in three steps:
The first satellite, BeiDou-1A, was launched on 30 October 2000, followed by BeiDou-1B on 20
December 2000. The third satellite, BeiDou-1C (a backup satellite), was put into orbit on 25 May
2003. The successful launch of BeiDou-1C also meant the establishment of the BeiDou-1
navigation system.
On 2 November 2006, China announced that from 2008 BeiDou would offer an open service with
an accuracy of 10 meters, timing of 0.2 microseconds, and speed of 0.2 meters/second.
In February 2007, the fourth and last satellite of the BeiDou-1 system, BeiDou-1D (sometimes
called BeiDou-2A, serving as a backup satellite), was launched. It was reported that the satellite
had suffered from a control system malfunction but was then fully restored.
In April 2007, the first satellite of BeiDou-2, namely Compass-M1 (to validate frequencies for the
BeiDou-2 constellation) was successfully put into its working orbit. The second BeiDou-2
constellation satellite Compass-G2 was launched on 15 April 2009.
On 15 January 2010, the official website of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System went online,
and the system's third satellite (Compass-G1) was carried into its orbit by a Long March 3C rocket
on 17 January 2010.
On 2 June 2010, the fourth satellite was launched successfully into orbit.
The fifth orbiter was launched into space from Xichang Satellite Launch Center by an LM-3I
carrier rocket on 1 August 2010.
Three months later, on 1 November 2010, the sixth satellite was sent into orbit by LM-3C.
Another satellite, the Beidou-2/Compass IGSO-5 (fifth inclined geosynchronous orbit) satellite,
was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by a Long March 3A on 1 December 2011
(UTC).
In September 2003, China intended to join the European Galileo positioning system project and
was to invest €230 million (US$296 million, £160 million) in Galileo over the next few years. At
the time, it was believed that China's "BeiDou" navigation system would then only be used by its
armed forces.
In October 2004, China officially joined the Galileo project by signing the Agreement on the
Cooperation in the Galileo Program between the "Galileo Joint Undertaking" (GJU) and the
"National Remote Sensing Centre of China" (NRSCC). Based on the Sino-European Cooperation
Agreement on Galileo program, China Galileo Industries (CGI), the prime contractor of the China's
involvement in Galileo programs, was founded in December 2004. By April 2006, eleven
cooperation projects within the Galileo framework had been signed between China and EU.
However, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported in January 2008 that China
was not satisfied with its role in the Galileo project and was to compete with Galileo in the Asian
market.
4) PHASE III:
In November 2014, Beidou became part of the World-Wide Radionavigation System (WWRNS)
at the 94th meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee,
which approved the "Navigation Safety Circular" of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System
(BDS).
At Beijing time 21:52, 30 March 2015, the first new-generation BeiDou Navigation satellite (and
the 17th overall) was successfully set to orbit by a Long March 3C rocket.
On 20 April 2019, a BeiDou satellite was successfully launched. Launch occurred at 22:41 Beijing
time, and the Long March 3B delivered the BeiDou navigation payload into an elliptical transfer
orbit ranging between 220 kilometers and 35,787 kilometers, with an inclination of 28.5° to the
equator, according to U.S. military tracking data.
On 23 June 2020, the final BeiDou satellite was successfully launched, the launch of the 55th
satellite in the Beidou family. The third iteration of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System
promises to provide global coverage for timing and navigation, offering an alternative to Russia's
GLONASS and the European Galileo positioning system, as well as America's GPS.
5) BEIDOU-1:
I. DESCRIPTION:
Unlike the American GPS, Russian GLONASS, and European Galileo systems, which use medium
Earth orbit satellites, BeiDou-1 used satellites in geostationary orbit. This means that the system
does not require a large constellation of satellites, but it also limits the coverage to areas on Earth
where the satellites are visible. The area that can be serviced is from longitude 70° E to 140° E and
from latitude 5° N to 55° N. A frequency of the system is 2491.75 MHz.
II. COMPLETION:
The first satellite, BeiDou-1A, was launched on 31 October 2000. The second satellite, BeiDou-
1B, was successfully launched on 21 December 2000. The last operational satellite of the
constellation, BeiDou-1C, was launched on 25 May 2003.
III. COMPLETION:
The first satellite, BeiDou-1A, was launched on 31 October 2000. The second satellite, BeiDou-
1B, was successfully launched on 21 December 2000. The last operational satellite of the
constellation, BeiDou-1C, was launched on 25 May 2003.
In 2007, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that the resolution of the BeiDou system was
as low as 0.5 meter. With the existing user terminals, it appears that the calibrated accuracy is 20
m (100 m, uncalibrated).
V. TERMINALS:
In 2008, a BeiDou-1 ground terminal cost around CN¥ 20,000 (US$2,929), almost 10 times the
price of a contemporary GPS terminal. The price of the terminals was explained as being due to
the cost of imported microchips. At the China High-Tech Fair ELEXCON of November 2009 in
Shenzhen, a BeiDou terminal priced at CN¥ 3,000 was presented.
VI. APPLICATIONS:
• Over 1000 BeiDou-1 terminals were used after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, providing
information from the disaster area.
• As of October 2009, all Chinese border guards in Yunnan were equipped with BeiDou-1
devices.
Sun Jiadong, the chief designer of the navigation system, said in 2010 that "Many organizations
have been using our system for a while, and they like it very much".
VII. DECOMMISSIONING:
BeiDou-1 was decommissioned at the end of 2012, after the BeiDou-2 system became operational.
6) BEIDOU-2:
I. DESCRIPTION:
BeiDou-2 (formerly known as COMPASS) is not an extension to the older BeiDou-1, but rather
supersedes it outright. The new system is a constellation of 35 satellites, which include 5
Figure 2: Frequency allocation of GPS, Galileo, and COMPASS; the light red color of E1 band
indicates that the transmission in this band has not yet been detected.
geostationary orbit satellites for backward compatibility with BeiDou-1, and 30 non-geostationary
satellites (27 in medium Earth orbit and 3 in inclined geosynchronous orbit), that offer complete
coverage of the globe.
The ranging signals are based on the CDMA principle and have complex structure typical of
Galileo or modernized GPS. Similar to the other global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs), there
are two levels of positioning service: open (public) and restricted (military). The public service is
available globally to general users. When all the currently
planned GNSSs are deployed, users of multi-constellation
receivers will benefit from a total over 100 satellites, which
will significantly improve all aspects of positioning,
especially availability of the signals in so-called urban
canyons. The general designer of the COMPASS navigation
system is Sun Jiadong, who is also the general designer of its
predecessor, the original BeiDou navigation system. All
BeiDou satellites are equipped with laser retroreflector arrays
Figure 3: Coverage polygon of
for Satellite Laser Ranging and the verification of the orbit BeiDou-2 in 2012
quality.
II. ACCURACY
There are two levels of service provided – a free service to civilians and licensed service to the
Chinese government and military. The free civilian service has a 10-metre location-tracking
accuracy, synchronizes clocks with an accuracy of 10 nanoseconds, and measures speeds to within
0.2 m/s. The restricted military service has a location accuracy of 10 centimeter, can be used for
communication, and will supply information about the system status to the user. In 2019, the
International GNSS Service started providing precise orbits of BeiDou satellites in experimental
products.
To date, the military service has been granted only to the People's Liberation Army and to the
Pakistan Armed Forces.
III. FREQUENCIES:
Frequencies for COMPASS are allocated in four bands: E1, E2, E5B, and E6; they overlap with
Galileo. The fact of overlapping could be convenient from the point of view of the receiver design,
but on the other hand raises the issues of system interference, especially within E1 and E2 bands,
which are allocated for Galileo's publicly regulated service. However, under International
Telecommunication Union (ITU) policies, the first nation to start broadcasting in a specific
frequency will have priority to that frequency, and any subsequent users will be required to obtain
permission prior to using that frequency, and otherwise ensure that their broadcasts do not interfere
with the original nation's broadcasts. As of 2009, it appeared that Chinese COMPASS satellites
would start transmitting in the E1, E2, E5B, and E6 bands before Europe's Galileo satellites and
thus have primary rights to these frequency ranges.
Although little was officially announced by Chinese authorities about the signals of the new
system, the launch of the first COMPASS satellite permitted independent researchers not only to
study general characteristics of the signals, but even to build a COMPASS receiver.
IV. COMPASS-M1:
Compass-M1 is an experimental satellite launched for signal testing and validation and for the
frequency filing on 14 April 2007. The role of Compass-M1 for Compass is similar to the role of
the GIOVE satellites for the Galileo system. The orbit of Compass-M1 is nearly circular, has an
altitude of 21,150 km and an inclination of 55.5°.
Compass-M1 transmits in 3 bands: E2, E5B, and E6. In each frequency band two coherent sub-
signals have been detected with a phase shift of 90° (in quadrature). These signal components are
further referred to as "I" and "Q". The "I" components have shorter codes and are likely to be
intended for the open service. The "Q" components have much longer codes, are more interference
resistive, and are probably intended for the restricted service.
The investigation of the transmitted signals started immediately after the launch of Compass-M1
on 14 April 2007. Soon after in June 2007, engineers at CNES reported the spectrum and structure
of the signals. A month later, researchers from Stanford University reported the complete decoding
of the "I" signals components. The knowledge of the codes allowed a group of engineers at
Septentrio to build the COMPASS receiver and report tracking and multipath characteristics of the
"I" signals on E2 and E5B.
V. OPERATION:
The BeiDou-2 system began offering services for the Asia-Pacific region in December 2012. At
this time, the system could provide positioning data between longitude 55° E to 180° E and from
latitude 55° S to 55° N.
VI. COMPLETION:
In December 2011, Xinhua stated that "[t]he basic structure of the BeiDou system has now been
established, and engineers are now conducting comprehensive system test and evaluation. The
system will provide test-run services of positioning, navigation and time for China and the
neighboring areas before the end of this year, according to the authorities". The system became
operational in the China region that same month. The global navigation system should be finished
by 2020.
As of December 2012, 16 satellites for BeiDou-2 had been launched, with 14 in service. And as
of December 2017, 150 m Chinese smartphones (20% of the market) were equipped to utilize
Beidou.
7) BEIDOU-3:
The third phase of the BeiDou system (BDS-3) includes three GEO satellites, three IGSO satellites,
and twenty-four MEO satellites which introduce new signal frequencies B1C/B1I/B1A (1575.42
MHz), B2a/B2b (1191.795 MHz), B3I/B3Q/B3A (1268.52 MHz), and Bs test frequency
(2492.028 MHz). Interface control documents on the new open signals were published in 2017–
2018.
On 23 June 2020, the BDS-3 constellation deployment was fully completed after the last satellite
was successfully launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. BDS-3 satellites also include
SBAS (B1C, B2a, B1A) and search and rescue transponder capabilities.
Characteristics of the "I" signals on E2 and E5B are generally similar to the civilian codes of GPS
(L1-CA and L2C), but Compass signals have somewhat greater power. The notation of Compass
signals used in this page follows the naming of the frequency bands and agrees with the notation
used in the American literature on the subject, but the notation used by the Chinese seems to be
different.
There has also been an experimental S band broadcast called "Bs" at 2492.028 MHz, following
similar experiments on Beidou-1.
BeiDou
B1I B1Q B1C B1A B2I B2Q B2a B2b B3I B3Q B3A
signal
GIOVE/Co
mpass E2-I E2-Q E1-I E1-Q E5B-I E5B-Q E5a E5b E6-I E6-Q –
signal
Code BPSK BPSK( MBOC(6,1, BOC(1 BPSK BPSK( AltBOC(1 AltBOC(1 BPSK( BPSK( BOC(15,
modulation (2) 2) 1/11) 4,2) (2) 10) 5,10) 5,10) 10) 10) 2.5)
Carrier
1561. 1561.0 1575.4 1207. 1207.1 1268.5 1268.5
frequency 1575.42 1176.45 1207.14 1268.52
098 98 2 14 4 2 2
(MHz)
Chip rate
2.046 2.046 2.046 10.230 10.230 10.230
(Mchips/s)
Code period
2046 ? 2046 ?? 10230 ?
(chips)
Code period
1.0 >400 1.0 >160 1.0 >160
(ms)
Symbols rate
50 ? 50 ? 50 ?
(bits/s)
Navigation
6 ? 6 ? ? ?
frames (s)
Navigation
sub-frames 30 ? 30 ? ? ?
(s)
Navigation
12.0 ? 12.0 ? ? ?
period (min)
8) CONSTELLATION:
The first satellite of the second-generation system, Compass-M1 was launched in 2007. It was
followed by further nine satellites during 2009–2011, achieving functional regional coverage. A
total of 16 satellites were launched during this phase.
Satellite launches
Launch Currently in orbit
Block
period and healthy
Success Failure Planned
1 2000–2006 4 0 0 0
2 2007–2019 20 0 0 12
3 2015–present 35 0 0 30
Total 59 0 0 42
In 2015, the system began its transition towards global coverage with the first launch of a new-
generation of satellites, and the 17th one within the new system. On 25 July 2015, the 18th and
19th satellites were successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, marking the
first time for China to launch two satellites at once on top of a Long March 3B /Expedition-1
carrier rocket. The Expedition-1 is an independent upper stage capable of delivering one or more
spacecraft into different orbits. On 29 September 2015, the 20th satellite was launched, carrying a
hydrogen maser for the first time within the system.
In 2016, the 21st, 22nd and 23rd satellites were launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center,
the last two of which entered into service on 5 August 2016 and 30 November 2016, respectively.
I. ANIMATION PF BEIDOU:
Figure 6: Around the Earth Figure 5: Around the Earth – polar view