Russia's GPS-challenging Glonass system nearing completion

The New York Times reports that the Russian Space Agency is set to launch eight navigation satellites before the end of the year, which would nearly complete the company's ambitious Glonass system, leading to a global launch sometime in 2009. That's when the country hopes it'll begin to pry folks loose from their dependence on GPS-based devices, with Russian President Vladimir Putin himself reportedly pressing scientists to make their system better and cheaper than GPS. As The New York Times points out, Russia isn't the only one looking to take on the current GPS monopoly on satellite navigation, with both China and the European Union also working on their own competing systems, although neither are apparently as far along as Russia's.

[Photo courtesy of The New York Times]

[evengrift @ Apr 4th 2007 1:42PM]

Interesting how this coincides with the New York Cab GPS system deployment.

I'm sure this is part of the plan to ensure we are continually screwed by Eastern Block and Russian cab drivers.

[Paul @ Apr 4th 2007 3:46PM]

It's spelled GLOSNASS, not GLONASS.

[ob1 @ Apr 4th 2007 5:18PM]

Really? What does GLOSNASS stand for?
I thought it stood for Global'naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, which might turn into GLONASS. But, not being a Russian, I could be wrong.

[badnegro @ Apr 4th 2007 4:24PM]

In Communist Russia, GPS guides YOU...

...wait a sec...

[Gil @ Apr 4th 2007 4:34PM]

Mmmmm... competition.

Prices go down, quality goes up. It's the best thing that could have happened to the GPS market.

[ob1 @ Apr 4th 2007 5:22PM]

I can see all the GPS manufacturers rushing to build TWO versions of their devices. Ooh, maybe they'll spend more money to allow a single device to use either constellation? Wait, a third possibility comes to mind - New Russian and Chinese GPS (sorry GLO(S)NASS) machines will hit the market, and everyone's brain will explode! Geocaching.com is already ramping up to begin listing the new coordinate system in addition to the ones they already list.
And I am totally going to trust these systems.

[Brendan @ Apr 4th 2007 7:09PM]

Gil how would prices go down from the current cost of accessing gps which currently is $0.00 (other than taxpayers money). The EU system is planned to be subscription based and I'm guessing that Russia's system won't be free either.

[dreamcatcher @ Apr 5th 2007 1:59AM]

using gps in agriculture, say, for parallel tracking or even autotrack (john deere), requires accuracy of about an inch max. high-accuracy signal's subscription is about 1.500 bucks a year. so gps competition IS going to drive prices down.

[Tom @ Apr 4th 2007 7:28PM]

now their government can keep track of everybody without other countries knowing!

[Ron Larson @ Apr 4th 2007 11:52PM]

The US's GPS system is free. The next generation of US GPS system that is being rolled out is even better.

So how does Russia plan compete against that? The only way they can is to mandate their citizens use GLASNOSS for national security reasons.

[Murc @ Apr 5th 2007 12:26AM]

I'm pretty sure that Russiaa is having there Global Satellite Coverage system built using military contracts...Like the Airfroce does with our GPS...which means we all pay for it by means of taxes...I am sure that the Russia is doing the same method.
Europe wont get much of a strong hold at all, because there's will cost the users money...and I read awhile back that hackers have already broke EU's sat code...meaning they can use the sats...for free...something that Europe would not want...since they are launching the sats to have a real bussiness ba made out of this...and your payment to them for use of their system is vital for them.

bottom line...the US's GPS will remain the top dog for the foreseeable future.

[Brendan @ Apr 5th 2007 2:34AM]

So farmers who have a multi hundred thousand dollar tractor are going to switch to a foreign built GPS system, for a few theoretical dollars less.

Although the EU constellation of satellites needs to be paid for since currently the money is being borrowed. Yet somehow subscriptions are going to be cheaper then satellites that were paid for using the US military defense budget decades ago. Some of you are buying that pipe dream, others know that all of this isn't going to be profitable. It's the EU, mostly with French backing, pretending they are still a global player even though they haven't been for more than a century.

[Gil @ Apr 8th 2007 7:45AM]

Probably not american farmers but America is only a small part of the world.


BTW
Currently the EU has more citizens than the US.

[TheDude @ Apr 5th 2007 2:52AM]

What's so new about this then? GLONASS has been around longer than GPS, though due to the lack of funding it has almost never been fully operational. Anyway, now they may be getting close to having it working again, and having several systems can't be a bad thing.

[Phil @ Apr 5th 2007 7:25AM]

GLONASS is being supported by India too. They are helping to lauch atleast 2 satellites and help pay for the new GLONASS-K satellites that will be lauched soon. In return India will get military code signal which with the right equipment has an accuracy of 1-5 millimetres.

As for subcription to the GPS (US system) there is none. U pay for the equipment and thats it. Well thats the way in Ireland. U have single frequency receivers cost from €200 to €5000 (accuracy of 10m to 1cm with corrections) and then u have dual frequency receivers cost from €8000 to €25000 and u get roughly 1-5 mm accuracy with that.

what u have on the agricultural equipment and construction equipment is dual frequency receivers and u dont need a subcription for that. well not in Europe anyway.

[Val @ Apr 5th 2007 4:44PM]

Here in Russia there was an article about Glonass in a Russian edition of Newsweek (or a similar Ogonyok magazine, can't remember in which one exactly) just a couple of weeks ago. The magazine reported that two-thirds of the Glonass satellites that are already on orbit are constantly malfunctioning and simply cannot work in a stable manner, making the loss of signal periods stretch up to 24 hours, which turns all this system completely useless. And those eight satellites that are going to be launched won't solve the problem entirely, since most of the system right now is still malfunctional.

[chris @ May 8th 2007 9:59PM]

Glonass has been operational for years, as lons as GPS. It was abandoned by Russia a few years ago. They still had about 7 operational which is why they are ahead of europe and china. Most positional constillations require 15 or so satellites and 5 or so spares in operation to provide worldwide coverage. Each satellite can only stay in orbit for 7 - 10 years hence the need for spares. All of these systems are aimed at precise surveying where sub millimetre accuracy is required not your $200 dollar crap you pick up in an electrical store which is good to 20 -30 metres at best.Some survey grade instruments such as those from Topcon can receive signals from both GPS and GLONASS. If like me you use survey grade GPS daily this is a god send, in a few years there will be 70+ positional satellites available from the different constillations and there will be no more waiting for initiallisation in built up areas :) where keeping a signal lock can be difficult.

[Ilya @ May 23rd 2007 1:08PM]

Russia never abandoned GLONASS, it was "on hold" due to poor economy in the 90-s. Russia has 17 operational GLONASS satellites, not 7.
It needs 24 to be fully global, and they will have them by 2009.

[chris @ May 8th 2007 10:00PM]

Another thing, this baloney about the us GPS system being superior is rubbish, the European system is using far more advanced technology including the more powerful L3 code ( us only transmitts L1 & L2) until it is overhauled.

[Fred Bosick @ Jan 2nd 2009 4:01AM]

All that fancy technology claimed for the European GPS aspirant means nothing if the underlying astronomy and celestial navigation data is 2nd rate. No one does military astronomy better than the USAF, and better celestial navigation and ephemerides than the USN.