GLONASS

GLObal NAvigation System Satellite) is the positioning system to satellitare Russian, controparte of the Global Positioning System of the United States and the system of European Galileo positioning. It is managed from the Russian army.

In the period of maximum efficiency the system offered to services of positioning and time standard with an accuracy in horizontal of 55 meters, vertical 70 meters, measure of speed in 15 cm/s and time 1 µs when the receiver was in sight of four satellites. It marks taken care of them more was to disposition of the single Russian soldiers.

Like the GPS, official fleet GLONASS comprises 24 satellites, 21 acts to you and three of supply, decided on three orbital plans. Every slowly it accommodates eight satellites identifies to you from a number of slot that it identifies the satellite and the plan: 1-8, 9-16, 17-24. The three plans are separate to you from 120° and the satellites of a same one slowly distance to you 45° between they. The orbits are almost circulars with an inclination of 64,8° and a greater axle shaft of 25440 km. the satellites orbit to a 19100 quota Km, leggermente inferior to satellites GPS and complete one every spin 11 hours and a quarter. In this way at least five satellites are visible in every moment.

All the satellites have been launch from the cosmodromo of Baikonur in Kazakhstan, first in October 1982, rendered operated to you in December 1983. The system would have had to be operating already in 1991, but after a first dismissal to 1993 the activation was not completed before December 1995.

Because of the serious economic situation of Russia, in the 2002 still was operated only eight satellites to you, and the net was almost unusable. With improving of the economic situation the satellites operated were capacities to 11 in March 2004. Three satellites of new conception, with an extended operating life to seven years, were launch 26 December 2004. Later on to an agreement they with Indiatrades, the net would have to return totally operating in 2007.

However the system also is penalized from the cost of receivers GLONASS and from their difficult reperibilità.