GLONASS, the Russian satellite positioning system launched in 1982 in response to America’s GPS, has navigated into its rival’s home territory.
The U.S. Geological Survey, a government entity whose tasks include early volcanic threat detection, announced plans last week to purchase dual GLONASS+GPS compatible hardware to improve its monitoring of America’s 160 active volcanoes and step up collection of scientific data on volcanic activity.
The purchase contractor, reports Russia’s online CNews.ru, is Trimble, a US firm that has been offering GLONASS-supporting equipment to the North American market since 2006.
Last year another overseas environmental watchdog, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, opted for GLONASS-compatible hardware as part of its own procurement program.
The joint U.S.-Taiwan FORMOSAT program, a major source of meteorological data for the world’s leading weather forecasters, is expected to start using an integrated GLONASS-GPS-Galileo system in three years. Galileo is a European counterpart of GPS slated for full launch by 2020.
The addition of a second positioning system increases accuracy and reliability while insuring against a single system’s failure.
The Russian system is also serving geodesic, construction, agricultural and other purposes in Canada, Belgium, Japan, Sweden and even the distant southern latitudes of Latin America.
RIA Novosti reported that earlier this month the Russian government approved a 346.6 billion ruble ($11.5 bn) federal program to develop GLONASS. Now that the GLONASS system has completed its satellite constellation – bumping the number of operational satellites up to 24 and offering continuous coverage anywhere in the world – the program will focus on developing terrestrial infrastructure and related services, said Alexander Gurko, General Manager of NIS GLONASS, Russia’s national provider of satellite navigation services.
