China plans on launching 10 more navigation satellites into orbit in 2009 and 2010 as part of their COMPASS navigation system. The current Beidou five-satellite navigation constellation serves only China’s territory, with the upgraded constellation going global. The intent is to have a sytem that is independent from the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System (GPS), the EU’s Galileo Positioning System and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
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