GLONASS' Heroic Catch-up Effort an Inspiration for Manufacturers
Sam Wormley
December 16, 2009
http://www.gpsworld.com/gnss-system/glonass-heroic-catch-effort-inspiration-manufacturers-9290?print=1
By: Alan Cameron
GNSS Design & Test Newsletter, December 2009
Although falling short of its goal of global service — read 24 operating satellites on
orbit — in the near term, GLONASS’s heroic catch-up effort should inspire cautious
confidence among manufacturers. More is needed, but this measure of optimism should
encourage companies to keep plans for combined GPS/GLONASS receivers in their strategy.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos launched three GLONASS-M satellites into orbit on
December 14. The trio joins a constellation now numbering 19 satellites, although it
effectively fields only 16 players. Thus the new recruits bring the Russian space team to
19 —enough to ensure coverage of Russian sovereign territory, but not the world.
By launching just half the number of satellites it had hoped for in the second half of
this year, the Russian system must push further to the right its realistic full
operational capability date. But its aggressive launch efforts — if not results — recall a
time circa 1990 when the U.S. GPS system played a catch-up game of its own.
No GPS satellites had been launched for more than three years, after the Challenger
launchpad disaster left the program without any vehicle to get its spacecraft into space.
Suddenly, in 1989 five Block II satellites reached their stations, followed by five more
in 1990. This series of events effectively solidified industry’s footing. As Gerard
Lachapelle points out in a essayette to appear in our January print issue — 20th
anniversary! — this “had a major impact on the GPS equipment manufacturers, technology,
performance, and users. It accelerated investments in research and development, in
addition to the long term planning of major users and suppliers of positioning services.”
Let’s all send GLONASS our warm holiday wishes for success on a similar scale.
The next GLONASS launch is scheduled for a February 11–20 time window.
Here's a grab bag of GLONASS goodies; consider it your satnav stocking, stuffed for the
holidays.
A current constellation plot from sky-gazers at the University of New Brunswick.
For postcards from Baikonor, head on over to HOBOCTN POCKOCMOCA, that's what I'm talking
about.
Video showing multiple views of the launch appear on the new Russian channel Vih Tubaski.
A video of last December's GLONASS launch includes an animation of rocket staging and the
dispersal of the GLONASS satellites and solar panel deployment.
Finally, on domestic Youtube (who is posting this?), a fascinating recent St. Petersburg
Channel 5 report with, inevitably, mention of "Amerikanski GPS," the odd peasant (was that
a Russian wolfhound?), footage of GLONASS ground control, animated simulations of urban
canyons, and more.
I am indebted to Richard Langley and CANSPACEfor these treasures.
Best wishes to all, and to all, a good night.