GLONASS

The Global Navigation Satellite System (Russian: Глобальная навигационная спутниковая система, romanized: Global'naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema), usually referred to by the acronym GLONASS (ГЛОНАСС, IPA: [ɡɫɐˈnas]), is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and was the second navigational system in operation with global coverage and of comparable precision. Satellite navigation devices supporting both GPS and GLONASS have more satellites available, meaning positions can be fixed more quickly and accurately, especially in built-up areas where buildings may obscure the view to some satellites. Owing to its higher orbital inclination, GLONASS supplementation of GPS systems also improves positioning in high latitudes (near the poles). Development of GLONASS began in the Soviet Union in 1976. Beginning on 12 October 1982, numerous rocket launches added satellites to the system until the completion of the constellation in 1995. In 2001, after a decline in capacity during the late 1990s, the restoration of the system was made a government priority, and funding increased substantially. GLONASS is the most expensive program of Roscosmos, consuming a third of its budget in 2010. By 2010, GLONASS had achieved full coverage of Russia's territory. In October 2011, the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored, enabling full global coverage. The GLONASS satellites' designs have undergone several upgrades, with the latest version, GLONASS-K2, launched in 2023.