Space race

[Eumenides]

From the Economist:

http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2081670

<<snip>>

China is to join the European Union’s project to launch a rival to America’s GPS satellite navigation system. The news will add to American defence chiefs’ worries about the project.

<<snip>>

Until recently, a GPS device could determine its location to the nearest ten metres or so. It is reported that the American military improved this to around three metres during the Iraq war. But Galileo is designed to be accurate to within just one metre.

<<snip>>

But think of the civil-liberties implications too. Once there are devices that can reveal exactly where someone is, who they are with, and even what they are doing, can the day be far off when we are all under the constant surveillance of some Big Brother, with the aid of his spy in the sky?

[tsipple]

1. FCC Requires All Cell Phones to Include GPS

It's called E911 (Enhanced 911), and it's a great technology, to allow emergency workers to pinpoint the locations of cell phone callers using GPS-aided triangulation. (The cell phones themselves aren't really full GPS receivers, but they use the GPS signals together with the wireless carrier's infrastructure.)

Good technology for 911, but, like anything else, subject to possible abuse.

I do think it's a great idea to have two independently operated GPS-like systems. The U.S. Government has and does play games with the GPS signal in certain parts of the world.

[bigtree]

2. The Chinese use a Russian version of the GPS

Russia and China signed documents on cooperation in the use and advancement of Russia's global navigational system (GPS) Glonass in late October, early November when Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov visited Beijing- July 25, 2000
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/gps-00h.html


The U.S. Air Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, CA, a $53 million contract to begin development of modernization changes for up to 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR satellites- Sept. 11, 2000
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/gps-00j.html

A Lockheed Martin GE-1A spacecraft is expected to lift off on the Proton in the mid September, 2000 followed by a trio of Glonass navigation satellites for the Russian
government.
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/sirius_launch_000811.html

The strange bedfellows of China
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=16340

US firms charged with 123 arms export violations to China; Russia-China future arms agreements made secret
http://www.afpc.org/crm/crm479.htm

China joins EU's satellite network
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3121682.stm

[tsipple]

4. Well, Not Exactly

GLONASS is, in theory, a great system -- much like GPS -- but in an utter state of disrepair with limited (and declining) coverage as satellites leave the constellation and aren't replaced.

That's why the Europeans, particularly, are working on their own system, possibly to beef up GLONASS, possibly just a brand new system.

It's also interesting that our own FAA has installed WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) to "fix" GPS problems (to give greater accuracy and fault tolerance, basically). So even our own federal government can't make up its mind.

[bigtree]

3. Not a bad idea to protect this technology from China

Not a bad idea to protect this technology from China
Washington warns of Beijing short-range missile threat
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/07/30/china.missiles.ap/index.html

'China acquiring missiles at faster rate'
http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1401369-6079-0,00.html

[WyLoochka]

5. Sorry test