Moscow. May 4. INTERFAX - As of May 4, 22 spacecraft are operating as part of the Russian GLONASS orbital constellation, the Information and Analytical Center for Coordinate-Time and Navigation Support said on Tuesday.
22 spacecraft are being used for their intended purpose, two spacecraft have been temporarily withdrawn for maintenance, two more satellites are at the flight test stage, and one is in the orbital reserve, according to the published data.
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is a Russian satellite navigation system, potentially one of the three fully functioning global satellite navigation systems today. The system broadcasts civilian signals available anywhere in the world, providing navigation services free of charge and without restrictions.
The GLONASS system, which originally had a military purpose, was launched simultaneously with the missile attack warning system (SPRN) in 1982 for operational navigation and time support for an unlimited number of land, sea, air and space-based users.
The main difference from the GPS global positioning system, developed and operated by the US Department of Defense, is that GLONASS satellites in their orbital motion do not have resonance (synchronicity) with the rotation of the Earth, which provides them with greater stability. Thus, the grouping of GLONASS spacecraft does not require additional adjustments during the entire period of active existence.
There are 32 spacecraft in the US GPS orbital constellation.
