Starting in 2011, from 24 to 28 Glonass satellites will constantly be flying in space to provide navigation and emergency support service.  

The Russian government has initiated the revision of the Glonass satellite program. According to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the government is working on a draft of the program up to the year 2020.

The framework being devised will center on using the Glonass satellite system for practical purposes. Government officials are counting on the active involvement of the regions in utilizing the new space capabilities. Prime Minister Putin said that from 2011 forward a large number of cars and other motorized personal vehicles will feature Glonass navigation devices. The new technical regulations will require the use of navigation devices not only in cars, but also in watercraft and trains. The use of navigation devices in Russia is around 10 percent today. 

Aside from navigation capabilities, the Glonass satellite system will also provide for a uniform “112” emergency telephone number. The system could also be used to organize rapid rescue responses in the event of traffic accidents. According to Putin, all new cars sold in Russia starting in 2012 will be connected to Glonass.  

Around RUR 60 billion was invested in the Glonass satellite project. At the same time, analysts say that capital outlays are fully justified, since the project is successful. The goal for Glonass is to attain world-wide coverage, and Russian officials believe that such plans can be accomplished in the near future. 

Over the course of 2010 and 2011, around RUR 48 billion will be invested in developing Glonass infrastructure on land and improving the satellite system in the space. Russia plans to send into orbit 6 more Glonass satellites in 2011. Starting in 2011, from 24 to 28 Glonass satellites will constantly be flying in space to provide navigation and emergency support service.  

New generation Glonass-K satellites will be launched in December. 

Meanwhile, Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, said that Russia will impose higher import duties on GPS systems that enter Russia. While the government considers that current duties on GPS equipment are too low, state officials do not believe that the new rates will be prohibitive. The import tariff would likely go into effect on January 1, 2010 and amount to 25 percent of the cost of the merchandise. Furthermore, the government plans to issue mandates that all domestically-manufactured vehicles utilize the Russian navigation system. The compulsory use of Glonass systems will apply only to state-owned vehicles, as the government cannot force private individuals to use navigation devices.   

Glonass was designed and implemented as a radio-based navigation system. The satellite system was developed by the Soviet Union, and it is currently run by Russian Space Forces. The Glonass network would provide an alternative to America’s Global Positioning System and the E.U.’s future Galileo project.    

The development of Glonass dates back to 1976. Original plans provided for attaining world-wide coverage in 1991. Positioning satellites were first sent into orbit in October 1982. By 1995, the array of satellites in orbit was complete. At the same time, economic problems caused the project’s suspension until 2001.

President Putin authorized the use of the Glonass system for civilian purposes in May of 2007. Free access to Glonass is available to both Russian and foreign citizens without any restrictions. In 2007 the President further instructed the Federal Space Agency to develop the use of the Glonass system for commercial and civilian purposes. 

The Glonass system is used to provide contemporaneous object location and speed determination. The satellite network was first devised for intercontinental missile targeting. The Glonass system was the second generation navigation system deployed by the U.S.S.R., replacing the previous Tsikada system. In the older satellite system, the satellite signal was being processed for more than one hour to determine the exact position of an object on the globe. With Glonass, once the satellite receiver gets tuned in to the signal from the space, exact position coordinates are computed immediately.  

The Glonass system consists of 24 satellites placed in 3 different orbital planes. 21 satellites are used for transmitting signals, while the other 3 serve as a backup. The ascending nodes of the three orbital planes are separated by 120 degrees. Each plane contains 8 satellites that fly 19 100 kilometers above the Earth in a circular orbit. The orbits’ inclination is around 64.8 degrees. The orbital period is 11 and a quarter hours. The latitude displacement of the planes is 15 degrees, so that the satellites would cross the equator one at a time. At least five Glonass satellites are visible from any point on the planet at any single moment in time.