Researchers in the field, such as Ernest Robinson, the head of the Aerospace Corporation's picosatellite project, dream of a day when swarms of nanosatellites (weighing less than 10kg) and picosatellites (weighing less than 1kg) might be used to establish a global navigation and communications network around Mars.

ECONOMIST: Picosatellites

He said it was compatible with the world's other major global satellite navigation systems, and encouraged Chinese and foreign enterprises to help develop terminals that could use the Chinese network.

WSJ: Beijing Launches GPS Rival