In the 1970s, China began working on technology and solutions for satellite navigation systems, but the project, called the lighthouse, was canceled.
In 1983, Chinese space expert Chen fangyun put forward the idea of using two satellites in geostationary orbit to achieve regional navigation functions. In 1989, China used communication satellites to carry out tests to verify its feasibility, and later beidou satellite navigation test system was based on this plan.
In 2009, the beidou iii project was officially launched. Thanks to the joint efforts of major systems and many participating research and testing units, China has comprehensively broken through the core and key technologies of the system, completed ground verification, and basically solidified the satellite status. In particular, China successfully launched five new-generation navigation satellites from 2015 to 2016, completing in-orbit verification.
Around 2018, 18 beidou-3 netted satellites will be launched, covering countries along the "One Belt And One Road" belt and road. By 2020, China will have launched more than 30 netted satellites and realized its global service capability.