The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is China’s global satellite navigation and positioning system, developed as an alternative to other international systems such as the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS, and the European Galileo. The name "BeiDou" is derived from the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, which has traditionally been used for navigation in ancient Chinese culture.
The development of BeiDou began in the 1990s with the strategic aim of reducing China’s dependence on foreign navigation systems, especially for military and national security purposes. The first experimental system, BeiDou-1, became operational in 2000 and provided limited regional coverage over China and nearby areas. This was followed by BeiDou-2 (also known as Compass), which expanded coverage to the Asia-Pacific region. The most recent phase, BeiDou-3, was completed in 2020 and now offers global coverage.
The BeiDou system consists of a constellation of satellites in different types of orbits, including geostationary, medium Earth orbit (MEO), and inclined geosynchronous orbits. This mixed-orbit design enhances the system’s accuracy, reliability, and availability. BeiDou is capable of providing location accuracy within 2.5 meters for general users, and with professional equipment, it can achieve centimeter-level accuracy.
Beyond basic navigation, BeiDou offers a range of additional services such as time synchronization, short message communication, search and rescue support, and more. It plays a significant role in various modern applications including smart cities, autonomous vehicles, precision agriculture, disaster relief, and logistics. Millions of devices in China are already compatible with BeiDou, and its international use is steadily increasing as more countries adopt or integrate it into their infrastructure.
BeiDou represents a major step forward in China's technological and geopolitical ambitions, granting the country greater autonomy in space-based services and increasing its influence in the global satellite navigation arena.