Question map
Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 4: Japan. While several countries utilize satellite data, only a few have developed and deployed their own independent or regional satellite navigation infrastructure.
Japan has developed the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), also known as Michibiki. It is a regional terrestrial augmentation system and a satellite-based navigation system that enhances the United States-operated GPS, ensuring high-precision positioning specifically for the Asia-Oceania region with a focus on Japan.
- Australia, Canada, and Israel: These nations do not possess their own independent global or regional satellite navigation constellations. They primarily rely on systems like the American GPS or the European Galileo.
- Global Context: Currently, only the US (GPS), Russia (GLONASS), China (BeiDou), and the EU (Galileo) have global systems, while India (NavIC) and Japan (QZSS) operate regional systems.
Therefore, among the given choices, Japan is the only country with its own functional satellite navigation system.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Comparative Science & Tech' question. It stems directly from studying India's NavIC (IRNSS). Once you learn that India has a 'Regional' system, the immediate next step is to ask, 'Who else has one?' The answer is Japan (QZSS). It is fair because QZSS is the only other major regional system frequently cited alongside NavIC in standard compilations.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does Australia have its own national satellite navigation system (a domestic GNSS)?
- Statement 2: Does Canada have its own national satellite navigation system (a domestic GNSS)?
- Statement 3: Does Israel have its own national satellite navigation system (a domestic GNSS)?
- Statement 4: Does Japan have its own national satellite navigation system (a domestic GNSS)?
- Describes Australia's positioning program as maintaining a national geospatial reference system (AGRS) and providing augmentation services, not a GNSS satellite constellation.
- Specifically identifies SouthPAN as an SBAS-based service that provides augmented/corrected satellite navigation signals over the region.
- Shows examples of countries that operate their own regional satellite navigation constellations (e.g., Japan's QZSS), providing context for what a national/regional GNSS looks like.
- By contrast, Australia's published material (passage 5) describes augmentation services rather than a multi-satellite GNSS constellation.
GAGAN and NavIC are named examples showing that countries (here India) develop dedicated satellite-based augmentation or autonomous regional navigation systems.
A student could use this pattern — that countries with active national space/navigation projects announce named systems — and check whether Australia has any similarly named national GNSS or augmentation project.
Listing of specific launches (e.g., IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-11) shows that a national navigation system is implemented via launched navigation satellites.
Compare this to Australian launch/mission records or official satellite catalogs to see if Australia has launched or operates satellites identified as a national navigation constellation.
Description of India's IRS and its national remote sensing infrastructure illustrates that countries with domestic satellite systems develop and operate their own satellite networks and ground centres.
A student could check whether Australia operates an analogous domestic satellite network plus ground control infrastructure specifically for positioning/navigation.
General statement that artificial satellites are used for navigation (among other functions) highlights navigation as a common satellite application that nations may support via dedicated systems.
Use this to reason that if Australia lacked an explicit national GNSS, it might instead rely on international GNSS services (GPS, Galileo, etc.); the student could check Australian policy/technical sources for reliance versus a domestic system.
Notes that satellite communication and space research were pioneered by specific countries implies only some nations create full-fledged space/navigation systems.
A student can infer that presence of pioneers or an active space program correlates with having national satellite capabilities, and can verify where Australia sits among such countries to judge likelihood of a domestic GNSS.
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