Skip to main content

Japan’s first navigation satellite gets into position

Japan’s first navigation satellite has reached position above Japan and will be used to improve GPS coverage in mountainous terrain and urban canyons.
March 1, 2012 Read time: 1 min

Japan’s first navigation satellite has reached position above Japan and will be used to improve GPS coverage in mountainous terrain and urban canyons.

The Michibiki satellite, positioned some 33,000 kms over Japan, will undergo three months of testing and commissioning before it enters service. Japan is planning to launch a further two satellites, depending on the performance of the first unit in space.

Related Content

  • Russia plans satellite-based mileage fee for trucks
    June 26, 2012
    The Russian ministry of transport has prepared a government draft decree that will require all commercial vehicles over 12 tons to pay a toll for each kilometre driven on federal roads. A unified fee collecting operator will be set up, which will equip all heavyweight vehicles with on-board units. The devices will determine the vehicle's route by using Glonass satellite navigation, and calculate a fee for roadway damage. The rates will be set by the government, but a charge of US$0.11 per kilometre is curre
  • Virginia Tech reveals vested interest
    May 9, 2019
    New ITS systems on either side of the Atlantic – such as an intriguing piece of connected clothing – aim to reduce the casualty toll among road maintenance personnel, says Alan Dron t’s not a lot of fun working on road maintenance or road construction worksites. By definition, you’re out in all weathers. You’re not popular with motorists, who blame you for hold-ups. It’s frequently physically arduous. And, worst of all, the sector has an unenviable record of injuries - even fatalities. Often working jus
  • Smartphones smooth the journey for visually impaired
    May 13, 2016
    Moves to make life easier and safer for vulnerable and impaired road users are gaining strength on both sides of the Atlantic. A recent webcast by the US Roadway Safety Institute, based at the University of Minnesota, showcased work in progress on a positioning and mapping methodology using Bluetooth and smartphone technologies to support situation awareness and wayfinding for the visually impaired.
  • App to give real-time estimate of bus arrival time
    March 7, 2013
    Florida’s Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit Authority (HART) is testing a smartphone application that would inform passengers in real time when buses will arrive. The OneBusAway pilot project is part of HART’s ongoing effort to provide bus information on mobile devices, officials said. The system would allow users to enter a numeric code for their bus stop and receive information on the length of time before the bus reaches them. A HART survey found that more than half of 400 respondents indicated real-time i