Russian GLONASS spacecraft types
Vidulini
The program launched a global positioning eighties (1976). Last century by the former Soviet military machine is still a bit into the real and serious competitor widely known American GPS system.
At the beginning of the week with the Russian Baikonur raketodroma located in Kazakhstan has been successfully launched into space a powerful repository of rocket Proton-M, which is on a high circular orbit of 19,140 km above the Earth's surface brought three GLONASS-M satellites. During these days of all three satellites took their predicted positions and began to work. These are the so-called craft. second generation on which work started in the nineties. Their weight is 1480kg and the dimensions of 2.4 × 3.7m, drawn from solar panels is the maximum length of their nearly eight feet. They are equipped with more than twenty different antennas for transmission and reception of data. The life expectancy of the spacecraft is several years old.
While in Russia now have more modern aircraft and the type of third generation GLONASS-K, due to the slow inflow of funds is still in production plants are at least three aircraft types GLONASS-M which will be launched during the next year.
GLONASS system is now available for commercial use, and its exploitation around the world see their opportunity and private companies. For complete coverage requires at least 24 spacecraft in Earth orbit. According to its characteristics and possibilities of GLONASS is not inferior to the American pandamom and future European GPS system Galileo. GLONASS Control Center is located in Moscow and a radio control of and communication with the satellites are located in St. Petersburg, Ternopol, Eniseisku and Komsomolsk.
All the world's GPS systems are mutually compatible and can be combined sgnale both.
Marino Tumpić
