China and Europe Compete for GPS Satellite Navigation Honours

China and Europe are at logger heads regarding their respective global satellite navigation systems which apparently have overlapping signals. China's system, called Beidou, is set to be completed in 2020, which is also when the European system, called Galileo, is due to be finished.

China has been working on Beidou since 2000. It launched three geostationary satellites between October 2000 and May 2003 in a phase called Beidou-1. These satellites are reported to have played a vital role when it came to rescuing survivors after the earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008.

Beidou-2 is actually going to be broken up into two stages with the first taking place from 2011 to 2015, during which time 12 to 14 satellites will be launched. When Baidou-2 is complete, China's navigation system will comprise more than 30 satellites. According to Qi Faren, former chief designer for Shenzhou spaceships and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) (as reported by Space Daily), the satellites launched between 2011 and 2015 will provide navigation, timing and short message services in the Asia and Pacific region. The remainder will complete the country's global navigation system which will rival that of the US - and, apparently, Europe.

The problem with Baidou, at least according to the European Union, is that it uses the same signal as their Galileo Satellite Navigation System. According to Space News, the radio spectrum on which both projects want to operate is already overcrowded, but neither project wants to move because of the large costs involved. At least that's been touted as the primary reason, but there are other factors at play.

The two opposing projects have been playing a waiting game for over two years to see who blinks first. China, it seems, is determined to carry on as planned, as evidenced by its string of satellite launches. Meanwhile, the European Commission has complained that the impasse is about to become a major security issue for the EU. They have unsuccessfully tried to persuade China to move frequencies, but China is sticking to its guns, as it has every right to do.

You see, having both systems on the same frequency doesn't mean that capacity is threatened. They'll both be able to function (more or less) perfectly. But, they won't be able to jam the other's signals. So it's no wonder China isn't willing cede ground and why the Europe Union is adamant that it does so.

Adding to the issue are navigation systems from Russia (Glonass), Japan and India, all of which will compete in the same space. The space race, it seems, is only just beginning.