Russia has expanded its global navigation satellite system with three satellites. A Proton-K rocket carrying three modernized Glonass-M satellites lifted off in December 25, from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov said earlier Russia is in talks with the United States and the European Space Agency to prepare agreements on the use of Glonass jointly with GPS and Galileo satellite navigation systems. The agency plans to have 18 satellites in orbit by late 2007 or early 2008, and a full orbital group of 24 satellites by the end of 2009, he said.
In November, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia will lift all precision restrictions, from the start of 2007, in the use of Glonass to enable accurate and unlimited commercial use of the military-controlled global positioning system. Current restrictions limit the accuracy for civilian users of Glonass to 30 meters.
Source: Geomatica Group
