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

  • Smarter transport remains key to smart cities
    January 9, 2018
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the challenges and solutions that will provide enhanced transport efficiency in tomorrow’s smarter cities. However you define a ‘smart city’, one of the key ingredients will be an efficient transport system. As most governments and city authorities face financial constraints, incremental improvements in the existing systems is the most likely way forward. In London, new trains and signalling are improving the capacity of the Underground but that then reveals previously
  • Autonomous vehicles: threat or opportunity for urban mobility?
    January 17, 2017
    According to a new position paper from the International Association Of Public Transport (UITP), autonomous vehicles (AVs) will lead to a dystopian future of even more private car traffic on the road unless they are put to use in shared fleets and integrated with traditional public transport services. The paper, ‘Autonomous vehicles: a potential game changer for urban mobility,’ indicates that, despite the risk of increased congestion due to car travel becoming even more comfort
  • ITS market size ‘to reach US$38.68 billion by 2020’
    December 21, 2015
    The global ITS market is expected to reach US$38.68 billion by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research. Increasing demand for alleviating traffic congestion and growing need for enhancing existing transportation networks is expected to drive demand over the forecast period. Growing urban population and increased fund allotment by various governments across the globe is driving need for advanced transportation network. This is estimated to be fulfilled by proper use of wireless communication
  • Barco completes first OpSpace installation in Germany
    January 12, 2017
    Barco has completed the first installation of its OpSpace operator workspace solution in Germany, in the new operations control centre of IT services provider Finanz Informatik. Launched in 2016, OpSpace is a personal workspace experience that provides operators with a single pixel space for viewing, monitoring and interacting with a range of remote systems. Operators simply use one mouse and keyboard to control all applications, providing a flexible approach to the operator’s job and allowing better sit