Russia's global satellite navigation system will be available for civilian use in Russia in January and become available worldwide within two years.
November 14, 2006 (Press Release) --
Russia's global satellite navigation system will be available for civilian use in Russia in January and become available worldwide within two years, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said Monday.
Ivanov said that beginning Jan. 1, the military General Staff will lift existing restrictions that had prevented civilians from using GLONASS, allowing it "to work for the development of the economy and transport," Ivanov said in televised remarks.
He added that Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, known as GLONASS, will be offered to commercial customers worldwide in 2009. GLONASS is the equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS.
Developed during the 1970s, the system originally had 24 satellites, but their number dwindled after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Thanks to Russia's booming oil revenues, the government has earmarked funds to revive the system to its full strength.
Russia now has 14 GLONASS satellites and plans to launch another three in October, Ivanov said. He said that 18 satellites were necessary to provide navigation services over the entire Russian territory.
"By the end of 2009, the system will be available worldwide for which we would need to have 24 satellites," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted him as saying.
Source: http://www.canada.com/
Ivanov said that beginning Jan. 1, the military General Staff will lift existing restrictions that had prevented civilians from using GLONASS, allowing it "to work for the development of the economy and transport," Ivanov said in televised remarks.
He added that Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System, known as GLONASS, will be offered to commercial customers worldwide in 2009. GLONASS is the equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS.
Developed during the 1970s, the system originally had 24 satellites, but their number dwindled after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Thanks to Russia's booming oil revenues, the government has earmarked funds to revive the system to its full strength.
Russia now has 14 GLONASS satellites and plans to launch another three in October, Ivanov said. He said that 18 satellites were necessary to provide navigation services over the entire Russian territory.
"By the end of 2009, the system will be available worldwide for which we would need to have 24 satellites," the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted him as saying.
Source: http://www.canada.com/
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