Close the book! The deployment of Beidou-3 global satellite navigation system constellation was fully completed.

At 9: 43 on June 23rd, the 55th Beidou navigation satellite developed by the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation was successfully launched. This is the third geosynchronous orbit satellite (GEO satellite, also known as "Jixing") of Beidou-3 global satellite navigation system. Because it ranks third in the Jixing family, everyone also calls the 55th Beidou navigation satellite "Jixing".

Although the number of GEO series satellites is small, it plays a key role. As a "big guy" stationed in the high-orbit Tianjiang, "Laoxing" shoulders the responsibility of greatly improving the overall technical indicators of Beidou-3, and also carries a large number of artifacts, which opens up a territory for the on-orbit operation and application of Beidou-3. With the decision of "Maoxing" in the "big chess game" of Beidou-3 global networking, all 30 networking satellites of Beidou-3 are in place, and the deployment of Beidou-3 global satellite navigation system constellation is fully completed.

The global network is full of stars

Beidou-3 global satellite navigation system consists of MEO satellites (medium earth circular orbit satellites), IGSO satellites (tilted geosynchronous orbit satellites) and GEO satellites (geostationary orbit satellites), including 24 MEO satellites, 3 IGSO satellites and 3 GEO satellites.

Compared with the agile and lively MEO satellite and elegant IGSO satellite, the Jixing family quietly stationed in Tianjiang, 36,000 kilometers above our head, gazing at the work of the two brothers with deep affection. Although they also have eighteen kinds of martial arts, they have given themselves a more important mission-to provide enhanced services for improving the technical indicators of Beidou navigation system.

Jixing family, as a "big man" in Beidou family, is huge and strong. The satellite platform they adopted is the Dongfanghong-3 B (navigation) satellite platform developed by the Fifth Academy of Aerospace, which is one of the larger satellite platforms in active service in China.

With its powerful carrying capacity, Old Star, like its two brothers, has six skills: radio navigation, radio measurement, satellite-based enhancement, precise point positioning, power enhancement, time synchronization between stations and positioning, which can provide navigation and enhanced services for users in China and surrounding areas.

Jixingjia inherited the most distinctive features of Beidou system, such as active positioning and short message communication, which is the pioneering work of China Beidou system.

Beidou-3' s short message communication ability has been significantly improved, and its information sending ability has been improved from once 120 Chinese characters to once 1200 Chinese characters. In an emergency, you don't need to choose words carefully. One time is enough to make the plot clear, and you can also send pictures and other information, so the application scenarios are more abundant.

In addition, the service capacity of Beidou III is 10 times higher than that of Beidou II. In the fields of communication, electric power, finance, surveying and mapping, transportation, fishery, agriculture and forestry, more people can enjoy the universal service of Beidou navigation system.

In March this year, after the second GEO satellite of Beidou-3 was put in place, the active positioning function under the new Beidou system was verified, which kicked off the comprehensive upgrade of radio measurement function. With the entry of the "old star", the three lucky brothers of Beidou-3 will reunite in space, and will open a greater distance on the equator to provide services for a wider area along the Belt and Road, and the characteristics of Beidou will leap to a new height.

A big country made in China

As the last "closing star" of Beidou's global navigation system, "Old Star" inherits Beidou's concept of unswervingly taking the road of localization and is also a masterpiece in localization.

"The key core technologies are not available, can't be bought and can't be talked about", which is the deep feeling of Beidou people in the Fifth Academy on the development road of Beidou. They have experienced the frustration that key stand-alone machines and components are "stuck in the neck" by some countries, but their determination to take the road of self-control has never wavered. Because the Beidou people in the Fifth Academy all know that Beidou is the heavy weapon of the country, which is related to national defense modernization and national economic development.

Chen, chief designer of Beidou-3 satellite of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, introduced that Beidou navigation system provides time reference and spatial position reference for national security, social and economic development and people's lives, and has a great impact on the importance of the country and people's lives.

When asked about the difficulty of building Beidou global navigation system, "How to build a high-precision space lighthouse?" Who will measure your position? How to maintain stability? And how can multiple satellites work safely and reliably? "Xie Junyong, deputy chief designer of Beidou No.3 project in the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group and chief designer of satellite, put forward the" Four Questions of Beidou Soul "in plain language.

The "four consecutive questions" involve four aspects: satellite ontology structure, overall navigation technology, core single machine development and independent innovation breakthrough. The road to localization is difficult. Through the exploration and practice of three generations of Beidou system, it finally paid off and handed over a shining answer sheet.

Beidou-1 solved the most basic problems of satellites, such as solar panels for power supply and distribution, components for converting light into electricity, and rotating mechanism of control system. The localization of these core products makes Beidou satellite have China constitution.

Beidou-2 broke the technical blockade of foreign countries and conquered many key technologies, such as the overall technology of navigation satellites and high-precision on-board atomic clocks, which made the "heart" of satellite navigation system beat China's heart rate.

Beidou-3 started the journey from parallel to leading. The satellite team of the Fifth Academy of Sciences took the lead in proposing the world's first new hybrid system of inter-satellite links in high and medium orbits, and formed a system scheme of inter-satellite link network protocol, autonomous orbit determination and time synchronization with independent intellectual property rights, which filled the domestic gap; The integrated system of domestic components of the device from development, verification to application was established, which completely broke the long-term situation that the core components depended on imports and were controlled by people.