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GLONASS Future and Evolutions
| GLONASS | |
|---|---|
| Title | GLONASS Future and Evolutions |
| Author(s) | GMV |
| Level | Basic |
| Year of Publication | 2011 |
In 2001, there were only seven GLONASS operational satellites in orbit. Acknowledging that navigation satellite system GLONASS was a top priority, the Government of the Russian Federation, by its Decree No. 587 of 20 August 2001, approved a Federal Task Program on the Global Navigation System (GNS) [1]. The GNS Program covers improvement of space, ground-based and user equipment segments of the GLONASS system.
One of the main objectives of the Program is to ensure GLONASS performance similar to GPS by the end of 2011. GLONASS poorer performance is the culmination of several factors:[2]
- poorer on-board atomic clocks
- less stability and predictability in the satellite orbits (and therefore less accuracy in GLONASS broadcast ephemerides)
- fewer satellites providing signals
- operational control and ground monitoring segment limited to Russian territory,
The Program is scheduled to end in 2011, however the Federal Spacy Agency has already announced that the maintenance and development of GLONASS will be extended until 2020, and will cost 402 billion rubles ($14.35 billion).[3]