The Worldwide Race in GNSS

[A.V.]

American GPS
EU- GALILEO
Russian - GONASS
China - COMPASS


GLONASS
In some ways, the GLONASS program — after an allocation of more than 100 billion rubles (nearly $3 billion) in funding for its 2002–2011 modernization effort — has progressed most steadily in recent years.

With the three newest satellites from a launch last December now in operation, GLONASS has a 20-bird constellation — including 19 modernized space vehicles (SVs), the most in more than a decade. Some 17 of the spacecraft are broadcasting a second full civil signal on the GLONASS L2 frequency, the only such GNSS system doing so.

Its signal-in-space user range error (URE) is down to 1.8 meters — still high compared to GPS’s 1-meter URE, but within the 3.7 meters called for in the GLONASS Interface Control Document (ICD) and several times better than the UREs of just year ago. By the end of last year, GLONASS was typically providing a standalone receiver with five-meter positioning accuracy using pseudoranges.

Launches have taken place regularly as scheduled over the past few years, and another six satellites are set to go up in triple launches in October and December this year. If successful, that should bring the GLONASS constellation to full operational capability (FOC) with 24 satellites early in 2010.

But that’s not all. The next-generation GLONASS-K will begin launching next year and include a CDMA (code division multiple access) signal on L3, which will more closely align with other GNSS systems that the system’s legacy frequency division multiple access (FDMA) design.

A decision about new GLONASS signals at the L1C and L5 frequencies depends on negotiations by a U.S./Russia working group, but could lead to additional CDMA signals, said Sergey Revnivykh, deputy director of the Russian space agency’s Mission Control Center.

The stable progress in rebuilding and modernizing GLONASS has even drawn interest from players in the mobile phone industry. Nokia has been investigating the use of GLONASS for its handsets. And, at the Munich summit, Frank van Diggelen, technical director and chief navigation officer for Broadcom Corporation, a semiconductor company that targets mobile handset manufacturers, appeared to compare GLONASS’s prospects favorably to Galileo.

“If GLONASS, which almost has a complete constellation, finds its way onto consumer devices, then consumers will have access to 65 satellites (GPS 31 + SBAS 7 + QZSS 3 + GLONASS 24 = 65),” van Diggelen said. “This may be enough.” In a worrisome aside for Europe’s system, which is counting on mobile phones playing a prominent role in downstream markets, he added, “Galileo may simply be too late to matter.”



COMPASS
As for Compass, if China executes its currently announced schedule for satellite launches, it would mark a substantial acceleration in that program. Given the caution with which Chinese officials have announced their plans, the 10 satellites in two years commitment could well be met.

Indeed, a Chinese representative indicated that the Compass program is under pressure from Beijing to show progress in bringing the planned five civil and five restricted services online. The schedule also suggests that China has a lot of satellites already built and ready to fly soon.

Autonomous positioning accuracy for the open service is expected to be at least 10 meters, according to Jing Guifei, chief of the international cooperation division in the National Remote Sensing Center of China (NRSCC). A wide area differential service providing one-meter real-time positioning and a short message service (SMS) is also part of the Compass program, Jing said.

As the “newcomer” to the GNSS field, in the words of Yin Jun, director of the European Affairs Division of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Compass “is not in the same place at the start of the race.”

Yin stressed that GNSS should not be a “competitive” exercise. “We need coordination among system providers,” he said. Although a “regional” capability is expected once the first 10 Compass satellites are in place, Yin said a global Compass service would not arrive until between 2015 and 2020.



GPS
As the leading GNSS provider, the United States might be thought to have the luxury of improving on a real and existing system with 31 operational SVs on orbit. In fact, the GPS program is in the midst of a full-blown modernization phase.

Launch of a modernized GPS Block IIR satellite — SV IIR-20(M) — is scheduled for March 24, the first since discovery of a faulty component in the Delta 2 booster last June led to a suspension of launches. A demonstration payload for the new L5 civil signal is on the IIR-20(M), and faces an August 2009 deadline to meet an International Telecommunications Union requirement for securing primary GPS access to the frequency.

The last IIR-M should go up in August, according to Col. Dave Buckman, PNT command lead for Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Launch of the first Block IIF spacecraft is scheduled for October 2009, although anomalies discovered in the signal generator of the second IIF now under construction has introduced some uncertainty into the plan.

GPS produced a one-meter URE in 2008, Buckman said. The GPS III satellites, which will carry the new civil L1C signal, are designed to have a URE that is four times better.


Galileo
Turning at last to Europe’s Galileo, the laborious process of contracting out the fully operational capability (FOC) system development continues. In Munich, Fotis Karamitsos, European Commission director-general for transport and energy, and Paul Verhoef, head of the Galileo unit, indicated that agreements with companies winning the lead contracts for six work packages should be signed between September and the end of this year.

Discussions at the Summit revealed tensions around negotiations with China about a frequency overlay of Compass signals on the security-oriented Public Regulated Service as well as the question of whether the costs to build Galileo can be kept within the €3.4-billion limit agreed by the European Council and the European Parliament.

In answer to a question at the March 3 opening plenary, Karamitsos insisted that “we have no reason to believe that FOC won’t be delivered on time and on budget.”

Responding to a comment that “several member states” and private companies have already suggested creating a “light” version of Galileo — fewer services, signals, and/or satellites, Karamitsos said he that the European Union (EU) member states have a “legal obligation to deliver the full system. Galileo satellites will be acquired in blocks of 10, 8, and 8.

Karamitsos complained of “people negotiating through the press,” adding, “In this time of economic constraints it doesn’t make sense for our industry to try to make money over” the amount allocated for the program.

According to one European source, the reference was to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL), a UK firm whose acquisition by EADS Astrium closed in January as well as EU members uninterested in using the PRS. SSTL, which specializes in smaller, economical satellite designs, built Galileo’s GIOVE-A satellite now in orbit.

Phil Davies, SSTL’s business development manager, acknowledges that “we've been pushing the idea of ‘Early Services’ for several years now, but I must admit it's an uphill struggle trying to single-handedly revector the Galileo juggernaut.”

Davies referred to a December 17, 2007, op-ed article that he wrote for Space News that he believes “probably remains valid today.”

In that commentary, Davies argued, “Whilst the full set of services might seem attractive it is clear that a simpler specification could be implemented more rapidly and at lower cost with minimal controversy and less demands on the ground segment.

“Such a system would allow Europe to achieve some of the strategic aims for Galileo such as the political and economic benefits,” the op-ed column continued. “Additional services, if shown to be cost beneficial, could be introduced on later batches of satellites that are now planned to be contracted after 2008. In this way Galileo could become an evolving system, rather like GPS with its different blocks of satellites.”

SSTL, along with its bidding partner OHB System AG (OHB), has been short-listed as a candidate for the Galileo FOC space segment (with EADS as the other contender) and are preparing for the submission of a “refined proposal” to the European Space Agency.


GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass: What GNSS Race? What Competition | Inside GNSS

 

[A.V.]

Galileo GPS Project Faces More Certain Future


The European Union is cooperating with a number of outside investors to replace the USA’s free Global Positioning System service with an alternative under their own control. In addition to civilian GPS (the Open Service), services to be offered include a paid Commercial Service (with accuracy greater than 1 meter), and a Public Regulated Service (PRS)/ Safety of Life Service (SoL) for use by security authorities (police, military, etc.) and safety-critical transport applications (air-traffic control, automated aircraft landing, etc.). PRS/SoL aims to offer Open Service quality, with added robustness against jamming and the reliable detection of problems within 10 seconds.

Organizational issues and shortfalls in expected progress pushed the “Galileo” project back from its originally intended operational date of 2007 to 2013-14 – and doubts persist in several quarters about its economic model, even as security issues arise regarding China’s COMPASS project. After a public-private partnership model failed to agree among themselves or with the EU’s desired terms, the organization gained initial-stage approval for its plan to finance the program with tax dollars instead of the expected private investments. Political issues were overcome, albeit with some protest, by raiding other EU accounts for over EUR 3 billion (about $5.35 billion) in funds, rather than asking for more money from member states.

The latest set of updates cover developments in Galileo, and in related programs like GIOVE and EGNOS. While the project’s base funding is now more secure, its ability to remain within budget faces issues, as does the expected launch timetable. Recent events may even lead to a smaller Galileo constellation…


http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/galileo-gps-project-faces-uncertain-future-03312/#more-3312

 

[RPK]

Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)

The Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system being developed by Indian Space Research Organisation which would be under total control of Indian government. The requirement of such a navigation system is driven by the fact that access to Global Navigation Satellite Systems, GPS, is not guaranteed in hostile situations.


Development
The government approved the project in May 2006, with the intention of the system to be completed and implemented by 2012. The first satellite of the proposed constellation, developed at a cost of Rs.1,600 crore (16 billion rupees), is expected to be launched in 2009.

A goal of complete Indian control has been stated, with the space segment, ground segment and user receivers all being built in India.

It is unclear if recent agreements with the Russian government to restore their GLONASS system will supersede the IRNSS project or feed additional technical support to enable its completion. However reports came in May 2009 that India plans to starts launching satellites by December 2009 and the whole constellation would be in orbit by 2012 if they hold true.

Description
The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a support ground segment. Three of the satellites in the constellation will be placed in geostationary orbit. These GEOs will be located at 34 East 83 East and 132 East longitude. The GSOs will be in orbits with a 24,000 km apogee and 250 km perigee inclined at 29 degrees. Two of the GSOs will cross the equator at 55 East and two at 111 East. Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with Indian control stations. The satellite payloads would consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigation signals.

According to a presentation by A Bhaskaranarayana to a meeting of COSPAR in Montreal on 15 July 2008, IRNSS signals will consist of a Special Positioning Service and a Precision Service. both will be carried on L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2492.08 MHz) The SPS signal will be modulated by a 1 MHz BPSK signal. The Precision Service will use BOC(5,2).

The navigation signals themselves would be transmitted in the S-band frequency (2–4 GHz) and broadcast through a phased array antenna to maintain required coverage and signal strength. The satellites would weigh approximately 1,330 kg and their solar panels generate 1,400 watts.

The System is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of better than 20 meters throughout India and within a region extending approximately 2,000 km around it.

The ground segment of IRNSS constellation would consist of a Master Control Center (MCC), ground stations to track and estimate the satellites' orbits and ensure the integrity of the network (IRIM), and additional ground stations to monitor the health of the satellites with the capability of issuing radio commands to the satellites (TT&C stations). The MCC would estimate and predict the position of all IRNSS satellites, calculate integrity, makes necessary ionospheric and clock corrections and run the navigation software. In pursuit of a highly independent system, an Indian standard time infrastructure would also be established.

 

[A.V.]

did india not sign the glonass agreement and is scheduled to launch 3 sats for the glonass by 2011?
whats this new development?

 

[nitesh]

It all depends upon success full launch of new GSLV rocket I think as this will help in taking the heavy satellites in to the desired orbits

 

[ppgj]

Glonass to provide global coverage from next year: Putin

24 December 2009

Moscow: The Russian developed Glonass navigation satellite system will provide global service from next year, according to Russian premier Vladimir Putin. He made this statement after a Proton rocket put three Glonass satellites in orbit on Monday.

With this launch, as many as 19 Glonass (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites will have become operational by the end of this year.

The system is the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS), and is designed for both military and civilian use.

Like the US GPS, the Russian Glonass allows users to identify their current location and direction.

Another three such triple launches are scheduled for next year, with one in February, one in August and one, probably in November.

''We will launch nine satellites, and we will have 24 operational satellites in orbit even if one or two satellites, which are under maintenance, have to be replaced,'' the federal space agency, Roskosmos, director Anatoly Perminov said. ''Our cluster will function like GPS. Twenty-seven out of 30 GPS satellites are working, including two under maintenance.''

Perminov also said that Roskosmos had tied up with foreign partners for the use of the Glonaass system on ''mutually advantageous'' terms.

''We provide Glonass service to our main partners, India and Kazakhstan,'' he said.

Similar agreements have been signed with Brazil and Nicaragua, and an agreement with Belarus is almost ready, he said.

''More than 50% of Russian aircraft, vehicles, sea and river vessels were equipped with Glonass receivers in 2009,'' he pointed out.

Glonass pilot projects were being implemented in 51 Russian regions.

According to declared plans, the Glonass system will deploy 18 satellites for navigation services that will cover the entire territory of the Russian Federation, while 24 satellites would be deployed for global services.

India and the Glonass

Russia and India signed two cooperation agreements in 2007 during then Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to the country. Then Russian defence minister Sergei Ivanov also said that New Delhi had agreed to launch Glonass-M satellites with the help of Indian booster rockets, and to create new-generation navigation satellites.

According to an earlier December 2005 directive by president Putin, the Glonass system was supposed to be made ready and put into position by 2008.

The Glonass programme was technically launched on 12 October 1982, but the formal launch took place only on 24 September 1993.

At the beginning of 2007 the Glonass system only had 13 satellites in orbit. There are two versions of the satellites in use - Glonass and its updated version, Glonass-M. This latter has a longer service life of seven years and is equipped with updated antenna feeder systems and an additional navigation frequency for civilian users.

A more advanced version, Glonass-K, is an entirely new model based on a non-pressurized platform, standardized to the specifications of the previous models' platform, Express-1000. The estimated service life of the 'K' version has been increased to 10-12 years, and a third "civilian" L-range frequency has been added.

domain-b.com : Glonass to provide global coverage from next year: Putin

 

[notinlove]

GLONASS:Everything About it

GLONASS:THE ACE IN THE PACK FOR INDIA

As you all know india has become a partner in the glonass system with russia , but then again india is also a partner in the european galileo
so what is the difference ?
for starters galileo is a "for civilian use only system" whereas india has participated in glonass exclusively keeping its military in mind
now you guys must be thinking why satellite based weapons when we have LGB's and TV Guided Bombs?
well Simply Put Any other Type of Ammunition is not all weather ammunition as they can be rendered useless
in extreme weather and smoke conditions and also some during the night time Hence Satellite Guided Weapons.

What is GLONASS??

GLONASS is a radio-based satellite navigation system, developed by the former Soviet Union and now operated for the Russian government by the Russian Space Forces.
It is an alternative and complementary to the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), the Chinese Compass navigation system,
and the planned Galileo positioning system of the European Union (EU).

Development on the GLONASS began in 1976, with a goal of global coverage by 1991. Beginning on 12 October 1982,
numerous rocket launches added satellites to the system until the constellation was completed in 1995.
Following completion, the system rapidly fell into disrepair with the collapse of the Russian economy.
Beginning in 2001, Russia committed to restoring the system, and in recent years has diversified, introducing the Indian government as a partner,
and accelerated the program with a goal of restoring global coverage by 2009.
GLONASS was developed to provide real-time position and velocity determination, initially for use by the Soviet military for navigation and ballistic missile targeting.
It was the Soviet Union's second generation satellite navigation system, improving on the Tsiklon system which required one to two hours of signal processing
to calculate a location with high accuracy. By contrast, once a GLONASS receiver is tracking the satellite signals, a position fix is available instantly.

How it works?
GLONASS is a system similar to the U.S. GPS network. GLONASS satellites work much the same as the U.S. NAVSTARs,
including flying nearly 12,000 miles above Earth and transmitting on two frequencies in the 1200-1600 MHz range.
The GLONASS constellation orbits Earth at an altitude of about 11,868 miles (19,100 km), a bit lower than the U.S. GPS satellites.
Each satellite completes a trip around Earth every 11 hours 15 minutes. They are spaced in orbit so a user on the ground can see at least five satellites at any time.
GLONASS satellites transmit precision (SP) and high precision (HP) signals at a frequency around 1.6 GHz.
The system offers a standard C/A positioning and timing service giving
horizontal position accuracy within 180 feet (55 meters) and vertical position within 230 feet (70 meters) based on measurements from four satellite signals.
P is a more accurate signal for Russian military use.
GLONASS provides 50-70 meters accuracy with its C/A (deliberately degraded) signals and 10-20 meter accuracy with its P (military) signals.
The navigational signals transmitted by the satellites are received by GLONASS-receivers.
These receivers determine object’s position by the method of received signals’ triangulation.
In the mode of usual access the GLONASS system exceeds the GPS system in accuracy, at the same time providing opportunity for operation in areas of higher latitudes.
There are very few inexpensive GLONASS-only receivers for consumers on the market.
However, commercial GPS receivers often are capable of receiving both NAVSTAR and GLONASS data.

Status Of The Program :
As of 16 December 2009 (2009 -12-16), the GLONASS system consists of 22 satellites, of which 16 are operational, 2 of which are in maintenance,
3 of which are in commissioning phase and one is in decommissioning phase.
The system requires 18 satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of the Russian Federation,
and 24 satellites to provide services worldwide.
The GLONASS system currently covers 100% of Russian territory
It Is Expected that by 2011 Glonass constellation will have about 30 satellites.

Accuracy
It has been generally accepted that the real-time accuracy of GLONASS is less than that of GPS.
The main source of accuracy degradation comes from broadcast ephemeris and clock parameters.
For many users, it is possible to use precise ephemeris, freely available on the Internet from, for example, the International GNSS Service (IGS),
formerly the International GPS Service, a voluntary federation of more than 200 worldwide agencies that pool resources and permanent
GPS and GLONASS station data to generate precise GPS and GLONASS products.

We also have analytical centers similar to, and some within, the IGS.
Four analytical centers within the IGS are estimating GLONASS ephemerides, and two of them are estimating GLONASS clocks.
The accuracy of precise GLONASS ephemeris are within 4 centimeters, 1 sigma.
Using precise ephemeris, or differential service, a GLONASS user can mitigate the above-mentioned error sources and enjoy higher accuracy comparable with those of GPS.
In the future, a global network, even a commercial one, can further benefit GLONASS in terms of higher real-time accuracy.
Summarizing, we expect the GLONASS market worldwide to grow, though less rapidly than the internal market in Russia.
We see our business in providing global solutions, which includes GLONASS, GPS, and Galileo, to the global market of GNSS users worldwide.
The standard for navigation systems in the future will be multifrequency, multi-constellation user equipment, and we are well on the way to meeting this standard.

And Now the Part You Guys Would Be Most Looking Forward to

Weaponry

As of now, the tests of a new Russian corrected aerial bomb under the name of KAB-500S-E have come into the final stage.
The said article will permit efficient destruction of various targets by day and night in any weather conditions.
The first mass/volume mock-up of the KAB-500S-E corrected aerial bomb of the Russian make was demonstrated to general public during the International
Aviation and Space Salon (MAKS-2003). Just a few performance characteristics were disclosed. Later on the information about the article in question,
including some technical details, was included into the book called “Russia’s Arms 2004” and the tenth volume of “Russia's Arms and Technologies XXI Century
Encyclopedia”.
KAB-500S-E, being JDAM analog of the Russian make, is one of the so-called smart bombs.
It is designed to destroy ground and surface targets, like depots, bunkers, secure control posts, various military and industrial facilities,
war ships and other vessels in naval stations. It will be employed as part of up-to-date combat aircraft systems at the altitude from 500 m up to 10 km
at the carrier speed of 550-1100 km/h. The warhead is of concrete-piercing type, which permits to destroy hard targets. Circular error probable is 5-10 m.

Basic specifications of KAB-500S-E

Total weight, kg – not over 500
Warhead weight, kg – not less than 380
Warhead type – concrete-piercing
Length, mm - 3000
Body diameter, mm - 350-400
Empennage, mm - 750
Guidance system - satellite
Fuse – contact with three delay types
Targeting accuracy, m - 5-10
Combat use – by day and night in adverse weather conditions

INDIA and GLONASS

After America's Global Positioning System (GPS), Glonass is currently the only other satellite-based navigation system and
it would be available for Indian military applications.

* Under pacts signed in December, 2004, during the Indo-Russia summit in New Delhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Moscow visit in December last year,
ISRO and Roskosmos agreed to closely cooperate in the development of new generation GLONASS-K navigation satellites and launch them from the Indian space center
with the help of Indian rockets to speed up the completion of the GLONASS system amid growing competition.
* Russia successfully launched on December 25 three GLONASS satellites, bringing to 17 the number of Russia's in-orbit navigation spacecraft,
plus two laser reflectors.
* Full global navigation requires 24 spacecraft.
* IRKUT sources say the Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role fighters supplied to the Indian Air Force are already equipped with GPS and GLONASS receivers for navigation.
* India is also a partner in the European Union's Galileo system, which is scheduled to be ready by 2008, but since Galileo would only be for civilian use,
joining the Russian Glonass becomes significant.
* India's goal to be a global military power is dependent on access to satellite navigation.
* Some variations of the Brahmos cruise missile and many future weapons being developed on the concept of "network-centric warfare" would depend on
satellite navigation for precision, and Glonass is the only option, says a senior Indian military scientist.

Source : Simply Too Many to List but wiki is always there as usual fused with lots of data from lots of sources

CHEERS!!!

 

[Sridhar]

Russia launches three new Glonass satellites

Published 02 March, 2010, 03:03
Edited 03 March, 2010, 23:34
Russia’s rival to the American GPS mapping and navigational system has moved one step closer to reality. Three satellites have been launched into orbit on a Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.

Watch video of the launch

Glonass – the Global Navigation Satellite System – is the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS), and has been designed for both military and civilian use.
Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.
http://rt.com/Sci_Tech/2010-03-02/glonass-navigation-system-satellites.html?fullstory
The Glonass cluster is now made up of 20 satellites. Nineteen of them are operational, and one is being repaired.
The system requires 18 operational satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of Russia and at least 24 satellites to provide navigation services worldwide.
Each satellite weighs over 1.4 tonnes and has a service life of seven years.
Glonass used to be a top secret military project, but these days the veil of secrecy has been lifted and everyone can benefit, from man to mammal.
Even Prime Minister Putin’s beloved dog, Connie, has connections in high places, with a special Glonass tracking collar around her neck.
Magomed Tolboyev, a pilot since 1973, has probably flown every aircraft. He even got his hands on the controls of Buran – the only Soviet space shuttle project – and he recalls what a huge headache navigation was for pilots back then.
“We didn’t have anything!” says Hero of Russia Magomed Tolboyev. “We could only measure the time, speed and altitude of the flight and had to figure out our position by doing math. That’s why America’s GPS was a real breakthrough!”
But the US monopoly is about to end.
Nevertheless, when the Glonass system swings into full capacity, it’s not planned to replace GPS, but will be an addition to make navigation in all parts of the globe even more accurate.
“Advanced receivers are already able to use GPS and Glonass systems simultaneously,” says Glonass chief engineer Yury Urlichich. “Europe’s Galileo and China’s Compass navigation systems may also be put on the list after they are completed.”

http://rt.com/Sci_Tech/2010-03-02/glonass-navigation-system-satellites.html?fullstory

 

[vladimirf]

And now Russia (ROSCOSMOS) and India (ISRO) is going to set up a Joint Venture to manufacture dual GPS/GLONASS receivers for civilian (and may be military as well) use. The process is already started. Who will participate in that race? any thoughts regarding the matter... clap

 

[Sridhar]

Russia to orbit 7 new Glonass satellites in 2010

BY : RIA Novosti

Russia will launch seven new Glonass satellites into orbit by the end of 2010, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
Glonass – the Global Navigation Satellite System – is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.
“We are actively continuing to increase our space grouping. There are presently 23 satellites functioning in orbit, 21 of them operating perfectly, though the work the two remaining ones are under question,” Putin said.
Putin said the additional seven satellites to be launched this year would bring the total to 27-28 fully functional satellites for the navigation system
He added that 2.5 billion rubles ($85.24 mln) was spent on the satellite system in 2009, and another 3.7 billion rubles was allocated for 2010-2011.


http://idrw.org/?p=1197

 

[Patriot]

Russia to invest 48 billion rubles in Glonass

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia will invest about 48 billion rubles in the Glonass space and land infrastructure in 2010-2011, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.

"We plan to launch another six (Glonass) satellites before the end of this year, and no less than 24-28 satellites will permanently stay in orbit after that," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Putin as saying on Tuesday.

Russia's new generation GLONASS - K satellite

Russia will begin testing the new generation Glonass-K satellites in December.

Glonass - the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS) is designed for both military and civilian use.

Russia currently has a total of 22 Glonass satellites in orbit, but only 16 of them are functional. The system requires 18 operational satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of Russia and at least 24 satellites to provide navigation services worldwide.




http://www.brahmand.com/news/Russia-to-invest-48-billion-rubles-in-Glonass/4691/1/10.html

 

[SHASH2K2]

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100810/160148723.html

Russia will complete the formation of a global navigation satellite group by the end of the current year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

"Before the end of the year we are planning to launch another six satellites. Thus the formation of our satellite constellation will be completed," he said.

"There will be between 24 and 28 satellites in orbit at any given moment. A Glonass signal will be reliably received at any point on Earth."

Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems enable users to determine their positions to within a few meters.

Putin said around 48 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) would be spent on the development of a space and ground based Glonass system this year and next.

He said 2.5 billion rubles ($85 mln) was spent on the satellite system in 2009.

The Russian head of government also proposed that from 2012 all new motor vehicles be equipped with Glonass systems.

He directed the Transportation Ministry and the Interior Ministry to come up with proposals concerning the installation of navigation systems and panic buttons on vehicles capable of carrying eight persons.

Russia currently has a total of 22 Glonass satellites in orbit, but only 16 of them are functional. The system requires 18 operational satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of Russia and at least 24 satellites to provide navigation services worldwide.

 

[anoop_mig25]

It all depends upon success full launch of new GSLV rocket I think as this will help in taking the heavy satellites in to the desired orbits

whats progress has been done form indian side

 

[SHASH2K2]

Six new GLONASS satellites were added to the network in 2008 and three more on December 14, 2009.

A Proton M carrier rocket bearing three Glonass satellites was launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on early Tuesday, March 2.

There are presently 23 satellites functioning in orbit, 21 of them operating perfectly.

Global Coverage by 2010 End
In April 2010, Russian PM Vladimir Putin said seven more satellites would be launched in 2010 year bringing the total to 27-28 fully functional satellites for the navigation system.

He added that 2.5 billion rubles ($85.24 mln) was spent on the satellite system in 2009, and another 3.7 billion rubles was allocated for 2010-2011.

One of the satellites to be launched this year will be the new Glonass-K, with an increased life of 10-12 years.

The total number of satellites in the constellation by the end of 2010 will ensure global coverage.

Technical Specs

GLONASS satellites transmit two types of signal: a standard precision (SP) signal and an obfuscated high precision (HP) signal.

The system requires 18 satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of the Russian Federation, and 24 satellites to provide services worldwide.

At peak efficiency, the SP signal offers horizontal positioning accuracy within 57-70 meters, vertical positioning within 70 meters, velocity vector measuring within 15 cm/s, and timing within 1 µs, all based on measurements from four satellite signals simultaneously.

The more accurate HP signal is available for authorized users, such as the Russian Military.

GLONASS-M
Russia initiated modernization of the GLONASS system with the launch of GLONASS-M satellites which have better signal characteristics and a longer design life of 7-8 years. (Earlier GLONASS satellites had a design life of just 3 years). A low mass third generation GLONASS-K satellites with a guaranteed lifespan of 10 years is under development.

Indian Participation
Under an agreement with India signed in January 2004, Russian Space Agency (RSA) committed to make the system operational with 24 satellites by 2010. A constellation of 18 GLONASS satellites not only provide full coverage to Russian they also cover India.

During a December 2005 summit between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was agreed that India would share some of the development costs of the GLONASS-K series and launch two of the new satellites from India, in return for access to the HP signal.

It can be assumed that India's participation in the GLONASS system has military overtones. GLONASS based positioning devices are rarely used in the civil sector since GPS devices that are lighter weight and more accurate are freely available. GLONASS signals are probably critical to both India and Russia in order to ensure accuracy of their respective ballistic and cruise missile systems.

Military Signal Access to India
During the visit to New Delhi by Russian PM Vladimir Putin on March 12, an agreement was inked to allow India access to the military signals of the GLONASS system. [ via Aviation Week]

India is the first country that has been given access to the military signal.
http://knol.google.com/k/vijainder-k-thakur/glonass/yo54fmdhy2mq/5#

 

[SHASH2K2]

A little confusion about Military grade signal from Glonass .


Russia, India May Jointly Make Glonass, GPS Navigation Devices

The Glonass navigation satellite system is expected to start operating worldwide by the end of 2010. As soon as global operations are launched, India will be able to use the civilian signal, allowing users to determine their position to within five to 15 meters.
by Staff Writers
Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Mar 10, 2010
Russia and India might establish a joint venture to produce navigation equipment for GPS and its Russian equivalent Glonass, the head of the Russian federal satellite navigation operator said on Tuesday.

Glonass - the Global Navigation Satellite System - is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian use. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.

"We are actively working on a project to establish a joint venture on Indian territory to produce various navigation equipment. In March a group of our negotiators will head there for another round of talks," said Aledxander Gurko, CEO of Navigation and Information Systems (NIS).

Russia currently has a total of 22 Glonass satellites in orbit, but only 16 of them are operational. The system requires 18 operational satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of Russia and at least 24 satellites to provide navigation services worldwide.

The Glonass navigation satellite system is expected to start operating worldwide by the end of 2010. As soon as global operations are launched, India will be able to use the civilian signal, allowing users to determine their position to within five to 15 meters.

India's access to a more precise military signal is yet to be approved by the heads of the two states.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he would discuss cooperation in the Glonass project with Indian officials during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi in the first half of March.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_India_May_Jointly_Make_Glonass_GPS_Navigation_Devices_999.html

 

[SHASH2K2]

Three GLONASS Birds One Step Closer to September Launch


The three GLONASS-M satellites to be launched on September 2 have successfully undergone pre-launch testing, and have been mated to the Block DM-2 upper stage of the launch rocket at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The satellites (no. 36, 37, and 38) will constitute the GLONASS Block 42 triad. Block 1, a single-satellite, was launched on October 12, 1982.
Related:

First GLONASS-M Satellite Delivered for LaunchThe first of the three GLONASS-M satellites to be launched on September 2 has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in...

New GLONASS-M Satellites Head to Pad for September 25 LaunchThe Russian Reshetnev Company has sent the first of three GLONASS-Ms satellites scheduled for a blast next month to the...

Previously Delayed GLONASS Satellites LaunchedRoscosmos has confirmed a successful launch of three GLONASS-M satellites on March 1 at 21:19 UTC. The satellites were released...

Three GLONASS Satellites Set for October 29 LaunchRussia is planning to launch three GLONASS navigation satellites on October 29, reports the RIA Novosti news service. The launch...

GLONASS-M Launch DelayedRussia's launch of a Proton-M carrier rocket from the Baikonur space center has been delayed due to a problem with...

 

[SHASH2K2]

one interesting link .

GLONASS status

 

[Tshering22]

Guys, I heard that China is involved in some sort of agreement with EU to provide military signal to them as being a partner in the development of the system. Is this true? Because I remember reading somewhere that we refused to join Galileo on these grounds and instead proceeded with GLONASS military signal agreement.

 

[nrj]

​

BANGALORE (BNS): Russia's Joint Stock Company Navigation-Information Systems (JSC NIS) Thursday signed a MoU with India's Hyderabad-based HBL Power Systems Ltd on GLONASS navigation systems with an aim to promote the GLONASS system in India.

The deal was signed at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2010 for the manufacturing of modules, system integration projects/tenders, provision of telematics services and after sale support.

HBL will mainly promote the product — Intelligent Transport System (ITS) — for police and rail systems.

ITS refers to efforts to add information and communications technology to transport infrastructure and vehicles in an effort to manage factors that typically are at odds with each other, such as vehicles, loads, and routes to improve safety and reduce vehicle wear, transportation times, and fuel consumption.

"We believe GLONASS will offer better features that will be superior to the GPS. The system will operate on GPS and Glonass," said Chairman Aluru Jagadish Prasad.

The 50-50 joint venture may be signed by the end of 2011. NIS GLONASS plans to sign two more agreements, including one with a private company. At this stage, the cooperation will be limited to joint tendering.

Vladimir Finov, Program Director "India-GLONASS", JSC "Navigation-Information Systems", Russia said, "NIS is here to promote the entire GLONASS system in India." He is very much hopeful about the bright future of such a joint cooperation.

Source


Lets get ready for GLONASS! :happy_7:

 

[Patriot]

Russia to launch Gonets-M satellite

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia will launch a Rokot carrier rocket from its Plesetsk space center on September 8 to put a Gonets-M satellite into orbit, a media report said.

According to RIA Novosti, the satellite will be a part of Russia's large-scale Glonass satellite navigation system.

GLONASS – Global Navigation Satellite System – is an alternative and complementary system to the US' Global Positioning System
, China's Compass navigation system
and the planned Galileo positioning system of the European Union.

A Russian Rokot carrier rocket which will be use put a Gonets-M satellite into orbit.

Currently, Russia has 26 Glonass satellite into orbit, in which two are not functional.

Designed for both military and civilian purposes, GLONASS enables its users to determine their positions within a few meters.

The system requires 18 satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire Russian Federation and 24 satellites to provide services worldwide.




Russia to launch Gonets-M satellite :: Brahmand.com