In today's rapid development of science and technology, we can fully assert that the strength of science and technology has become a key indicator to measure the core competitiveness of a country, which directly reflects the prosperity and strength of a country. This view is not groundless, and its beginnings can be traced back to the sixties of the eighteenth century, when the first industrial revolution was like a huge driving force, which made the national power of Western powers such as Britain, France, and the United States reach unprecedented heights.
Time flies, mankind has crossed the age of steam and electricity, and has entered a new era of intelligent technology. In this high-tech arena, the birth of the Global Positioning System (GPS) is undoubtedly a milestone event. In 1994, the United States took the lead in building a GPS system, which can carry out all-round, real-time three-dimensional navigation and positioning in the sea, land and air, and this innovation has triggered revolutionary changes in many fields such as geodesy, engineering surveying, aerial photogrammetry and vehicle navigation.
More importantly, the application of GPS technology has penetrated into all aspects of our daily life. Whether it is map navigation, emergency rescue, or information inquiry, GPS plays an indispensable role. However, the United States paid a huge price in the process of developing the GPS system, which took more than 20 years and cost up to $30 billion from research to final operation. By March 1994, the United States had successfully achieved global coverage of GPS satellite positioning, with a coverage rate of 98 percent.
Although the excellent performance of the GPS system makes it the preferred positioning tool for many countries around the world, it also invisibly makes these countries subject to the United States. Once the United States turns off the GPS positioning system, many countries may fall into the predicament of "blindness". However, there are two countries that are immune to this issue: China and Russia.
As the first country not to be affected by the GPS shutdown, China's self-developed Beidou satellite system has surpassed the GPS of the United States in terms of scale. Since the start of the Beidou-1 system construction in 1994, the development of China's Beidou satellite system has been steady and rapid. In 2004, China launched the construction of the Beidou-2 system. By the end of 2012, 14 satellites had been successfully launched. In 2009, China made another effort to start the construction of the Beidou-3 system, and successfully completed the launch of 19 satellites by the end of 2018. Today, the Beidou satellite system has jumped to the first place in the world in terms of scale, and has become a bright business card of China's scientific and technological innovation.
Compared with GPS, the Beidou system not only has positioning function, but also innovatively increases communication functions. In terms of positioning accuracy, the Beidou system also shows significant advantages. Although the positioning accuracy of GPS in the civilian field is within 10 meters, China's Beidou system continues to refresh the limit of positioning accuracy. From the initial 10-meter accuracy, it has gradually improved to 5 meters, 1 meter, and now it has begun to move towards centimeter-level accuracy. This series of achievements fully demonstrates China's strong strength and lofty ambitions in the field of satellite navigation.
Another country that has not been affected by the GPS shutdown is Russia. Russia has a positioning system called GLONASS. The system was first developed in Soviet times, but it was not until after the collapse of the USSR that it was completed and put into operation in Russia. Since its inception in 2007, the GLONASS system has continued to expand its coverage and by 2009 has achieved global coverage. At present, the number of satellites in orbit of the system has reached 30, of which 24 satellites are in normal working condition, providing stable and reliable positioning services for users around the world.
Even if the United States turns off the GPS positioning system, China and Russia will still be able to win in the field of global positioning with their independent satellite navigation systems. The scientific and technological strength and innovation capabilities of these two countries not only demonstrate their national core competitiveness, but also contribute unique strength to the world's scientific and technological progress.