Satellite-based positioning systems have been used in a broad array of fields including car navigation and land surveying, and have become indispensable to our lives.

The Quasi-Zenith Satellites System (QZSS) uses multiple satellites that have the same orbital period as geostationary satellites with some orbital inclinations (their orbits are known as “Quasi-Zenith Orbits”). These satellites are placed in multiple orbital planes, so that one satellite always appears near the zenith above the region of Japan. The system makes it possible to provide high accuracy satellite positioning service covering close to 100% of Japan, including urban canyon and mountain terrain.

Through the development and deployment of this system, we aim to enhance Japan’s satellite positioning technology and contribute to building safe and secure society with enhanced satellite based positioning, navigation and timing technologies.

QZSS enhances GPS services in the following ways: 1) Availability enhancement (improving the availability of GPS signals); and 2) Performance enhancement (increasing the accuracy and reliability of GPS signals).
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The QZSS project will be promoted incrementally in accord with the government's basic policy released on March 31, 2006 as follows.
First step: First QZSS satellite "MICHIBIKI" will be launched in 2010. Technical validation and application demonstration will be conducted.
Second Step: The 2nd and 3rd QZSS satellites will be launched several years later. Full system operation will be demonstrated.
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Interface Specification for QZSS (IS-QZSS) is a document to provide users with information such as interface and service performance specifications required to develop QZSS receivers and applications.
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