Russia, Belarus ink GLONASS co-op agreement

[Baluarte]

Russia, Belarus ink GLONASS co-op agreement

http://presstv.com/detail/2013/12/14...ass-coop-deal/


Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (L) and his Belarusian counterpart, Mikhail Myasnikovich

Russia and Belarus have inked an agreement to cooperate in using and developing the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).

The deal was signed on Friday during a meeting of the Russia-Belarus Union State Council of Ministers in the Russian capital Moscow, Russia’s news agency RIA Novosti reported.

The gathering was presided over by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his Belarusian counterpart, Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Russia has already singed similar agreements on collaboration in the use of the GLONASS network with a number of countries including Ukraine, India, Cuba and Kazakhstan.

GLONASS, which was officially launched in 1993, is planned for both civilian and military applications and is considered as Russia’s rival for the US Global Positioning System (GPS).

The network provides instantaneous positioning and velocity data for surface, sea and flying objects with an accuracy of one meter.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), a total of 28 GLONASS satellites are presently in orbit, with 24 in operation, three used as spares, and one in test-flight phase.

For the system to continue its navigation services across Russia and the world, at least 18 and 24 operational satellites are needed respectively.

[Übermensch]

cool.