历时26年终“成团”！北斗引路，星耀全球！
The satellite, carried by a Long March-3B carrier rocket, is the 30th BDS-3 satellite and the 55th of the whole BeiDou satellite family.
The launch marked the completion of the country's domestically developed BeiDou constellation, one of four global navigation networks alongside with the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo.
三步走，灿北斗
CGTN infographic by Chen Yuyang
中国从1990年代开始建立其以北斗七星命名的导航系统。2012年，这个系统开始为亚太地区提供服务。在过去的30多年中，北斗实现了一系列目标，例如，从主动定位转变为被动定位，并将服务范围从中国扩展到亚太地区，最终扩展到全球。
从1994年1月立项至今，北斗历经了三步走的发展阶段。
第一步走的重点节点包括，1994年北斗一号系统建设正式启动；2000年发射2颗地球静止轨道（GEO）卫星，北斗一号系统建成并投入使用；2003年，发射第3颗地球静止轨道（GEO）卫星。
China began constructing its navigation system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, in the 1990s and started serving the Asia-Pacific region in 2012. In more than 30 years, BDS has achieved a range of goals, such as shifting from active to passive positioning and expanding its service coverage from China to the Asia-Pacific region and eventually the globe.
The first phase involved building the BeiDou-1 system, officially began in 1994.
Two geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) satellites were launched in 2000, and the BeiDou-1 system was completed and put into operation. A third GEO satellite was launched to further enhance the system's performance in 2003.
The completion of BeiDou-1 made China the third country after the U.S. and Russia to have a satellite navigation system. In 2013, the BeiDou-1 satellite was decommissioned.
第二步的时间跨度为2004年至2012年。这一阶段，中国开始建设“北斗二号系统”，服务区域为中国与亚太地区。
2004年，北斗二号系统建设启动。到2012年，完成了14颗卫星的发射组网。这14颗卫星中，有5颗地球静止轨道（GEO）卫星、5颗倾斜地球同步轨道（IGSO）卫星和4颗中圆地球轨道（MEO）卫星。
在兼容北斗一号有源定位体制的基础上，北斗二号系统”增加了无源定位体制，仅靠接收信号就能定位。
The second phase involved building the BeiDou-2 system, shifting from active to passive positioning, and launching the regional navigation technology services for the Asia-Pacific region.
Construction of the BeiDou-2 system started in 2004. A network of 14 satellites was completed in 2012, which includes five GEO satellites, five inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites and four medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites.
The BeiDou-2 system added a passive positioning system, which means user devices don't have to send signals and location can be determined just by receiving the signals. The completion of the BeiDou-2 not only serves China but also provides users in the Asia-Pacific region with positioning, speed measurement, timing and short message communication services.
2009年至2020年，北斗的建设进入第三阶段——实现全球组网。
北斗三号标称星座一共有30颗卫星，包括24颗中圆地球轨道卫星、3颗地球静止轨道卫星，以及3颗倾斜地球同步轨道卫星。
北斗三号系统继承了北斗一代有源定位和北斗二号无源定位两种技术体制，通过星间链路解决了全球组网需要全球布站的问题。它为全球用户提供定位、导航、定时、短消息通信和国际救援服务，并在中国境内外提供增强系统，精确点定位（PPP）和区域短消息通信服务。
The third phase involved the development of the BeiDou-3 system, which meant setting up "crosslink" and realizing global networking.
The construction of the Beidou-3 system started in 2009 and completed in 2020. The network comprises 30 satellites, including three GEO satellites, three IGSO satellites and 24 MEO satellites.
The BeiDou-3 system features both active and passive positioning, and solves the problem of global stationing for global networking utilizing "crosslink" or satellite-to-satellite connection "dialogue."
It serves global users with positioning, navigation, timing, short message communication and international rescue services, and also provides Augmentation System, Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and regional short message communication services in and outside China.
CGTN infographic by Du Chenxin
北斗的应用与市场潜力
北斗及其衍生设备已经在为运输、海事、电力、民政、气象、渔业、测绘、采矿和公共安全等领域的数百万用户提供服务。
中国卫星导航定位协会5月18日发布的《2020中国卫星导航与位置服务产业发展白皮书》显示，2019年，我国卫星导航与位置服务产业总体产值达到将近3450亿元（485.8亿美元），较2018年增长14.4％。其中与卫星导航技术研发和应用直接相关的产业核心产值为1166亿元，在总产值中占比为33.8％。
北斗三号的全面建成，和中国近年来一直推动的“新型基础设施建设”，都将成为我国卫星导航产业新一轮发展的重大推动力。
BDS and its derivative devices have offered services to millions of users in the fields of transportation, maritime affairs, electricity, civil affairs, meteorology, fishery, surveying and mapping, mining and public security.
Its market value hit 345 billion yuan (48.58 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, up 14.4 percent from the previous year, according to an annual industry report.
Vertical markets related to the development and application of the satellite navigation technology, including chip, algorithm, software, data, end devices and supporting infrastructure reported 116.6 billion yuan in output value, accounting for 33.8 percent of the industry's total.
The completion of the Beidou-3 constellation, along with China's "new infrastructure projects" with focus on smart technologies, will be a major engine driving growth in the BDS market, the report said.
推荐阅读：