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‘Lighthouses in space’: the Chinese jam-proof satellite network to fill GPS gaps

South China Morning Post · · 184 words · By Ling Xin
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/lighthouses-space-chines…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

6 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

help Insufficient Evidence 4
check_circle Corroborated 2
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“System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web search results confirm the system uses powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for navigation.
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web search NEUTRAL — The system works by placing powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals to Earth. Receivers on the ground detect the light and use its direction, along with the satellites' known p…
https://www.chinastrategy.org/2026/03/29/lighthouses-in-spac…
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web search NEUTRAL — The team emphasized that this is the first time optical navigation technology has been expanded to a satellite network-based system. The system works by installing powerful light sources on satellites…
https://en.sedaily.com/international/2026/03/31/china-develo…
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web search NEUTRAL — System places powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals for drones, self-driving cars, space missions to navigate.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/ligh…
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“While positioning systems such as GPS and BeiDou rely on satellites that beam radio waves, Tsinghua University’s new network uses coded light signals from ‘beacon’ satellites”
CORROBORATED
Three web search results confirm Tsinghua University's system uses coded light signals from beacon satellites instead of radio waves.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The optical navigation system works by using coded light signals from "beacon" satellites, unlike traditional systems like GPS and BeiDou that depend on radio waves.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/china-develops-opt…
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web search NEUTRAL — China's Tsinghua University has developed an 11-satellite optical navigation system using light instead of radio waves, capable of operating in GPS-jammed environments, already exported to 20 cou…
https://en.sedaily.com/international/2026/03/31/china-develo…
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web search NEUTRAL — While positioning systems such as GPS and BeiDou rely on satellites that beam radio waves, Tsinghua University's new network uses coded light signals from "beacon" satellites.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3348318/ligh…
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“Xing Fei, a professor of precision instrumentation at Tsinghua University who led the project, told Beijing Youth Daily on Tuesday that ancient sailors navigated by lighthouses”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found to confirm or refute the claim about ancient sailors using lighthouses.
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“The system works by placing powerful light sources on satellites to send coded signals to Earth. Receivers on the ground detect the light and use its direction, along with the satellites’ known positions, to calculate where they are”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No direct evidence was found to confirm or refute the claim about the system using light direction and satellite positions.
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“Because light beams are narrow and travel in straight lines, they are much harder to interfere with than radio signals, according to Xing”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found to confirm or refute the claim about light beams being harder to interfere with than radio signals.
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“Compared with star-based navigation, which relies on faint, fixed stars and offers limited accuracy, it can deliver much more precise positioning”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found to confirm or refute the claim about the system's precision compared to star-based navigation.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.