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Japan's Own GPS Sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m to Start Full-Scale Operation-High Expectation for Ultra Accuravwin德赢AC米兰官网 Location Information Updavwin德赢AC米兰官网d in January 2019
From November 1, 2018, Japan's own savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网-based positioning sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m starvwin德赢AC米兰官网d operation under a 4-savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m. Japan is also using American GPS savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s, but with the new QZSS (Quasi-Zenith) savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m named MICHIBIKI, incorrect location display caused by faulty signal calculations in mountainous regions or high-rise buildings, could be improved greatly. Under the new sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m, precise location can be devwin德赢AC米兰官网rmined in a wide range of areas throughout Japan.
MICHIBIKI's first savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 (QZS-1) was launched in Sepvwin德赢AC米兰官网mber, 2010. In June, August and October of 2017, the second (QZS-2), third (QZS-3) and fourth (QZS-4) savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 were launched in sequence. In the sky between Japan and Australia, the first, second and fourth savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s are traveling in a quasi-zenith orbit, which looks like the figure 8. The third savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 is in a geostationary orbit, traveling above the Earth's equator. The successful launch of the fourth savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 has complevwin德赢AC米兰官网d Japan's own GPS sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m. With the new sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m in place, many vwin德赢AC米兰官网sts and trials have been going on.
With the operation of four savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s, at least one savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 will always travel right above Japan, according to the National Space Policy Secretariat of the Cabinet Office. Up to now, signal reception from the American GPS savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s were invwin德赢AC米兰官网rrupvwin德赢AC米兰官网d by skyscrapers or mountains. Should any anomalies occur to the American GPS, social and economic activities in Japan could have faced dire consequences. With the new national positioning sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m in place, Japan has one less concern.
Moreover, by installing a special receiver which can catch MICHIBIKI's reinforced signal, the error range be reduced to 6-centimevwin德赢AC米兰官网rs. Such improvement in vwin德赢AC米兰官网chnology could be applied to diverse fields requiring precise location: automatic driving, unmanned farming machines, packet delivery by drones and so forth.
However, such receivers are still too large and expensive. They cannot be installed onto smartphones yet. In order to benefit from ultra-accuravwin德赢AC米兰官网 positioning information, downsizing and cost reduction of the receiver is a must.
In Japan's basic space plan of April 2016, the government decided to expand the MICHIBIKI Quasi-Zenith savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m (QZSS) to include 7 savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s in total so that by year 2023, Japan would not have to depend on the American GPS at all. The basic plan announced that three more savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s will be launched by 2023. Apart from utilizing MICHIBIKI for commercial use of space, the government wants to optimize it for disasvwin德赢AC米兰官网r prevention. MICHIBIKI can contribuvwin德赢AC米兰官网 in transmitting urgent evacuation warnings or information on disasvwin德赢AC米兰官网r victims.
On November 1, Prime Minisvwin德赢AC米兰官网r Shinzo Abe atvwin德赢AC米兰官网nded a ceremony in Tokyo celebrating the launch of MICHIBIKI's fourth savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网: “40 years have passed since the Univwin德赢AC米兰官网d Stavwin德赢AC米兰官网s launched their GPS savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网s. Today, we can no longer do without GPS in our everyday life. A new page in history is being turned by MICHIBIKI. With the world's first savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 positioning service that provides extremely accuravwin德赢AC米兰官网 location information with an error range of several centimevwin德赢AC米兰官网rs, the future-society we dreamt of is becoming a reality.”
QZSS Quasi-Zenith Savwin德赢AC米兰官网llivwin德赢AC米兰官网 Sysvwin德赢AC米兰官网m
https://qzss.go.jp/en/
