(Observer News)
As for China's progress in aerospace scientific research, the US media often like to interpret it as a "space race" from the perspective of hegemony. "China's 'Beidou' satellite navigation system is causing the United States' global positioning system (GPS) to lose its dominant position," the U.S. Space News Network published a signed article with this title on the 8th, "worried" that the United States, once the "king" in the field of satellite navigation, is now facing competition from China and is in a backward position.
The article begins by saying that in the 20 th century, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for space supremacy, and in the new century, the United States has a different opponent -- China. "GPS was once the undisputed king of satellite navigation (and an important tool of America's soft power), but now it has a growing number of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) competitors. The article exaggerates that a key battle is already in the making, but the United States is currently falling behind.
In the opinion of author Sean Gorman, despite the new stars of positioning systems such as the European Union's "Galileo", Russia's "GLONASS" and India's "NavIC", "there is no doubt that the most important competitor comes from China". The U.S. National Advisory Committee on Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing has warned that GPS capabilities are "now far inferior to China's Beidou" and urged the United States to regain leadership in positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) over the next decade.
According to reports, Gorman has more than 20 years of research and entrepreneurial experience in the field of geospatial data science and its impact on national security, and has provided professional advice to government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Security Agency, and the White House.
On April 27, 2023, the 6th Digital China Construction Achievement Exhibition exhibited the "Beidou" networking satellite model Image source: Visual China
In this regard, Gorman analyzed that China and the European Union have been investing heavily in their global satellite navigation systems (GNSS), while the US military's improvement of GPS is insignificant. The United States is replacing GPS satellites from the 1990s with newer GPS 3 satellites, but the technology is not groundbreaking and not as accurate as the EU's "Galileo". The more modern GPS 3F satellites may not be fully operational until the mid-2030s, as the US military's next-generation PNT system, NTS-3, is still in the research and development stage.
By comparison, the Beidou system has more than 50 satellites in orbit, almost twice the size of GPS, and more than 10 times the number of monitoring stations, many of which are located in developing countries. The article cites a report by Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs that the Beidou system provides more PNT data, and in some cases, with greater accuracy in many parts of the world.
This is particularly evident in developing countries in Africa and South-East Asia, where GPS services have historically been inadequate, the report said. Japan's "Nikkei Asian Review" reported in 2020 that among the 195 major countries in the world, the "Beidou" navigation system observes the capitals of 165 countries more frequently than the American GPS system. In addition, China has ambitious plans to further improve the accuracy, safety and reliability of Beidou by launching low-orbit satellites and adopting future technologies such as quantum navigation.
On December 26, 2023, the Changsanyi rocket successfully launched the 57th and 58th "Beidou" navigation satellites Image source: Visual China
Gorman unabashedly expressed his "concern" that if a country other than the United States gains "hegemony in satellite navigation," it will pose a "major risk" to the United States. While his own preconceived description of the development of science and technology in the article as a race for "space supremacy," he also asserted that China views GNSS as a "zero-sum game" and that the United States and Europe are "more cooperative" parties.
Gorman said that the Beidou system is seen as a key element of the Belt and Road Initiative, and that the completion of this "space Silk Road" or "space information corridor" will weaken U.S. influence in key regions, and will also consolidate China's control over global infrastructure, and many regions will have new and stronger dependence on Chinese technology, infrastructure, services and diplomacy, "China's influence will increase at the expense of U.S. influence...... And U.S. influence in key strategic regions such as Africa is already declining."
The article says that in terms of global PNT data availability, GPS is already at a significant disadvantage over "Beidou", and will soon lag behind in overall accuracy, signal strength and security. Gorman argues that with the rise of rivals, the U.S. is facing a critical moment: if other U.S. service providers, such as GPS, fail to keep up with Beidou's advances, the U.S. global soft power and the U.S. role in setting standards and rules that determine key emerging technologies will be significantly affected. Unless the United States acts quickly, the balance of technological power could tip in China's favor.
In July 2020, the "Beidou" global navigation satellite system was deployed and officially launched to provide global services, making China the third country to independently have a global navigation satellite system. Today, the "Beidou" system services have covered more than 230 countries and regions, including the "Belt and Road" partners, with more than 1.5 billion users. Data as of January 2023 shows that the daily positioning volume of the "Beidou" satellite in map navigation exceeds 300 billion.
It is reported that at present, the "Beidou" basic products have been exported to more than 120 countries and regions around the world, based on the "Beidou" land rights confirmation, precision agriculture, digital construction, smart ports, etc. have been successfully applied in ASEAN, South Asia, Eastern Europe, West Asia, Africa, "Beidou" applications have been recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Maritime Organization, the International Search and Rescue Satellite Organization, the International Mobile Satellite Organization, etc., and a number of standards to support the "Beidou" system have been released. China has cooperated with Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Iraq, Algeria and many other Arab countries in the application of Beidou.
In 2022, the Information Office of the State Council released a white paper entitled "China's Beidou in the New Era", pointing out that the "Beidou" satellite navigation system is a satellite navigation system independently built and operated by China to meet the needs of national security and economic and social development. After years of development, the "Beidou" system has become an important new infrastructure to provide all-weather, all-day, high-precision positioning, navigation and timing services for global users. The white paper stresses that China is willing to share the achievements of the development of the "Beidou" system with other countries and jointly promote the vigorous development of the world's satellite navigation industry.
On the same day that the Beidou system was deployed, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also responded to claims that the move was part of China's "increased high-tech influence overseas." He said that "Beidou" is not only China's "Beidou", but also the world's "Beidou", not only serving China, but also serving the world.
"China's space industry is an important part of mankind's peaceful exploration and use of outer space, and is exclusively used for peaceful purposes. The vastness of the universe is completely accommodating the joint exploration and cooperation of all countries. China is ready to work with other countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the field of space on the basis of mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness, equality and mutual benefit, share the fruits of space development, and make positive contributions to promoting human civilization and social progress and building a community with a shared future for mankind. ”
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