Q. Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System? (UPSC Prelims 2023)
Answer: Japan
Notes: The correct answer is [D] Japan. Satellite navigation systems provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning with global or regional coverage. While many countries use GPS, only a few have developed their own independent or quasi-independent systems.

• Japan (Correct): Japan operates the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), also known as Michibiki. It is a regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) and a satellite navigation system that enhances GPS signals over Japan and the Asia-Oceania region to provide highly accurate positioning.
• Australia (Incorrect): Australia does not have its own global or regional satellite navigation system; it relies primarily on the American GPS and other international systems.
• Canada (Incorrect): Canada utilizes GPS for its navigation needs and does not maintain a sovereign satellite constellation for this purpose.
• Israel (Incorrect): While Israel is a leader in satellite technology and space research, it has not deployed its own independent satellite navigation constellation.

Global vs. Regional Systems: Currently, there are four Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS): GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Union), and BeiDou (China). Apart from Japan's QZSS, India also operates a regional system called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation).