The start of the space centre of Xichang in the southwest-Chinese province of Sichuan ran according to the official news agency Xinhua easily. Three weeks after the test with an anti-satellite weapon a rocket of the type “long march 3-A” brought the satellite "Beidou" in are orbit.

China develops at the moment an experimental navigation and position system with the name Compass. It should serve the telecommunications, the transportation and the “national security”. China works together with the construction of the Galileo-navigation system with the EU China arbeitet beim Aufbau des Galileo-Navigationssystems mit der EU zusammen

The Chinese navigation net Compass is valid in the branch as a dangerous competitor to the Galileo net. China publishes up to now hardly information about his system. However, is known that China has ordered 30 highly exact atomic clocks in Switzerland. These watches are the heart of navigation satellites. According to present information the Compass system should exist of five geostationary and 30 satellites flying around the earth. Bekannt ist aber, dass China 30 hochgenaue Atomuhren in der Schweiz bestellt hat. Diese Uhren sind das Herzstück von Navigationssatelliten. Nach bisherigen Informationen soll das Compass-System aus fünf geostationären und 30 um die Erde fliegenden Satelliten bestehen.

The boss of the European syndicate for the construction of the Galileo satellites, Jürgen Ackermann, had pointed only recently before the dangers from China. If not soon the great order occurs for the construction of the Galileo satellites, the planned introduction of the system would be endangered in 2011-strong. The market risk for Galileo becomes bigger, Ackermann also said with look at the developments in China, other delays with Galileo would raise the price of the system of the Europeans. Das Marktrisiko für Galileo werde größer, sagte Ackermann auch mit Blick auf die Entwicklungen in China, Weitere Verzögerungen bei Galileo würden das System der Europäer verteuern.
[via wissen.de]