纪念首个“中国航天日”

 Three new-generation BeiDou navigation satellites were launched last year, and 98 percent of the components¹ were Chinese made.

BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has been in operation since 2000, making China the third country with an autonomous² nav-sat system after the United States and Russia.

China Aerospace³ Science and Technology Corporation is the main contractor⁴ for the country's space program. It undertakes a number of missions, including the design and manufacturing of key components of BeiDou.

Zhang Chuxian is a technical director at the institute.

中国航天日

"First of all, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System has high-level technology indicators⁵ and also requires high-standard components. We need to develop better products, more advanced than those imported from abroad, to meet BeiDou's requirements. On the other hand, the development timescale is very tight, almost cut in half compared with before. Within that time we also need to have everything tested and verified. That means we need to develop better products with less time and more challenges."

China began building its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System 20 years after the GPS navigation system designed by the U.S.

The positioning accuracy of the navigation system has been cited as the most common concern by industry experts.

BeiDou Navigation Satellite Deputy Chief Designer Zhang Lixin says the navigation system is better than GPS in some performance indicators.

"Within the next five years, or by the end of 2020, China will have launched 30 satellites. Eighteen of them will be launched before 2018 and the remaining 12 before the end of 2020. Finally, we will become a global satellite services supplier, with a high level of position accuracy of two to five meters."

So far, the Beidou Navigation System has been widely used in such fields as water and environmental monitoring, command and control, as well as search and rescue.

"I have my own wish, that is to have every car, every cellphone and every ship equipped with the BeiDou navigation system. Even better, if it may replace GPS and serve users directly, my wish is that everyone can enjoy the system."

In 2014, the Maritime⁶ Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization officially approved Beidou Navigation Satellite System for use in operations at sea.

It means the system has been formally included in the Worldwide Radio Navigation System, and has become the third system to gain such acceptance after the United States' GPS and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System.

For CRI, I'm Bridget Grace.

1 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

2 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

3 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

4 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

5 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

6 maritime   

adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的

参考例句：

• Many maritime people are fishermen.许多居于海滨的人是渔夫。
• The temperature change in winter is less in maritime areas.冬季沿海的温差较小。