China to set up civil satellite systems by 2020

BEIJING - China aims to finish building satellite systems for remote sensing, communications and navigation before 2020, a national plan showed Thursday.

The three satellite systems should be able to provide continuous and stable service, according to the plan for long-term development of civil space infrastructure posted on the website of the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner.

In the next decade, China will build civil space infrastructure featuring cutting-edge technology, independent development and control, and reasonable distribution and global coverage, the plan said.

The three systems should meet demands for different industries and regions to support China's modernization drive, ensure national security and improve people's lives, it said.

Through the combined use of satellites from different systems or constellations, the country should be able to provide diversified, high-quality and reliable services to different industries.

For remote-sensing satellite systems, the priority should be on development of land, ocean and atmospheric observation satellites with seven different satellite constellations, the plan showed.

The system will meet the demands of various fields, including monitoring land and ocean resources, environmental protection, disaster relief, traffic, agriculture and weather forecasts.

The communications satellite system will be used for broadband Internet, mobile telecommunications and live television broadcasts.

China will improve the service capabilities of its Beidou Navigation Satellite System, a domestic alternative to U.S.-operated GPS, the plan added.

By 2020, China will set up a complete Beidou system consisting of 35 satellites, which will provide global coverage with positioning accuracy of less than 10 meters and timing accuracy of 20 nanoseconds.

The country will also improve research to catch up with world-class technology and promote the use of domestic satellite systems.