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

  • Group manages traffic via satellite connection 
    October 14, 2021
    Consortium testing included input from Excelerate, ESA and Satellite Applications Catapult
  • Bosch takes first steps to autonomous driving
    February 1, 2013
    High-performance assistance systems, which control speed and the distance between vehicles, already help drivers reach their destinations safely and more comfortably. They also warn drivers of traffic jams and help them maneuver into even the tightest of parking spaces. Automotive technology and services supplier Bosch is set to expand its future range of driver assistance technology with systems will take on a growing role in guiding vehicles through traffic jams. More specifically, they will brake, accele
  • Google spin-off Waymo to open ‘world’s first Level 4 AV’ factory in Michigan
    January 28, 2019
    Waymo, the company that began as Google’s driverless car project, has pledged to open a facility in Michigan, US, to produce advanced autonomous vehicles (AVs). In a statement, Waymo insisted: “This will be the world’s first factory 100% dedicated to the mass production of Level 4 AVs.” Level 4 automation means that no human interaction is required, and the vehicle is able to adjust in the case of things going wrong – but there is an option for manual override. This is still some way from Level 5, in
  • In-vehicle intersection violation Warning system
    January 31, 2012
    Mike Schagrin, ITS Joint Program Office, RITA, and John Harding, NHTSA, describe US progress towards an in-vehicle Intersection Violation Warning system. In 2008, there were 37,261 fatalities on US roadways. Of these, 7,772, some 20.8 per cent of the total, were defined as intersection crashes or intersection-related crashes. Through a multi-agency research initiative led by the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has developed a prototype In