GLONASS actually began in 1976 with several satellite launches to help its military track its units, but the system was soon abandoned when the Russian economy fell apart and the U.S.S.R. was broken up.

However, in 2001, Russian officials revitalized the satellite system in hopes of repairing and expanding the system by 2009. They saw the monetary potential for such a system after seeing the United States make multi-billions of dollars off of their system since 1993 that is able to determine real-time positions and velocities all over the world from satellites in orbit about the Earth. 

In 2007, Russia, and its Russian Federal Space Agency, hopes to launch six satellites to increase the number of orbiting satellites to 18. The GLONASS service requires 18 satellites in orbit to implement complete navigational functions in the vicinity of Russia and other adjoining countries such as India. By 2009, the country hopes to have 24 in orbit about the Earth, which is the number needed to institute complete global navigational service.

However, of the 17 to 19 satellites now in orbit (there is some question as to just how many are up there), it is believed that only 12 are actually working, with the others shut down temporarily or maybe even permanently. The current satellites in orbit are the second-generation satellites called GLONASS-M (or Uragan-M). After all of these satellites have been launched the third-generation GLONASS-K (or Uragan-K) satellites will be used. Their deployment is expected in 2008.

India, and the Indian Space Research Organization, has already signed an agreement with Russia to jointly develop the GLONASS system. In some cases, satellites will be launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota. Russia expects to spend about $385 million in equivalent U.S. dollars in 2007 for further developments into GLONASS and for launching more satellites into orbit.

The United States is under discussion with Russia about making their two systems compatible with each other. Further discussions are expected in April 2007 during the International Satellite Forum in Moscow, Russia.

The Information-Analytical Center provides information on the GLONASS (Russian Federation), GPS (U.S.A.) and GALILEO (European Community) satellite systems at: http://www.glonass-ianc.rsa.ru/pls/htmldb/f?p=202:1:16827457493506720876.

Information about the Russian GLONASS also appears at: http://www.russianspaceweb.com/uragan.html.

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