GPS (Global Positioning System) vs BeiDou
GPS (Global Positioning System) (US Space Force) and BeiDou (CNSA) compared on operator, size, orbit, and live satellite count from our catalog.
Headline
BeiDou is the larger of the two with 56 active satellites in our catalog right now, vs GPS (Global Positioning System)'s 7.
| Spec | GPS (Global Positioning System) | BeiDou |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | US Space Force | CNSA |
| Country | US | CN |
| First launch | 1978 | 2000 |
| Planned size | 31 | 35 |
| Active in catalog now | 7 | 56 |
| Primary orbit class | MEO (7) | MEO (33), IGSO (12) |
GPS (Global Positioning System)
US satellite navigation constellation. ~31 active sats in MEO at ~20,200 km.
Full GPS (Global Positioning System) page →Catalog methodology
Counts come from our live satellite catalog, refreshed every 3 hours from CelesTrak. We match by name prefix — for example, “STARLINK” for Starlink and “GSAT” for Galileo. Decayed satellites are excluded. Planned size is the operator's announced fleet target, which is often well above currently launched.