GNSS

China’s domestic navigation system accesses ASEAN market

Three model satellite stations based on China’s domestically made Beidou navigation system were shown to the public recently in an industrial estate in Thailand, the first step of Beidou into the ASEAN market. It is a part of a cooperative agreement signed between China and Thailand. Li Deren, chairman of the Wuhan Optics Valley Beidou Geo- Spatial Information Industry Co., LTD, a participant in the project. They will form a network covering all areas of the country, and expand into other ASEAN countries and regions. www.globalpost.com

GLONASS-M launched

On June 14th, Russia launched their next GLONASS navigation satellite via a Soyuz launch vehicle. The satellite— GLONASS-M 55. This was the second launch of a GLONASS navsat this year by Russia… there are eight spacecraft in three orbital planes, with 24 such satellites required to bring total worldwide service to the GLONASS system. Within a few weeks, this new satellite will become operational, complete with L1 and L2 navigation signals, as well as the transmission of L3 frequency band experimental navigation system signals (CDMA, rather than FDMA). www.satnews.com

Glonass stations in BRICS states to boost competitiveness

The deployment of Glonass in BRICS member countries will boost the network competitiveness, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador at Large, executive secretary of the interdepartmental commission for Russian membership in the G20 and the BRICS Group Vadim Lukov said.

“A project of the sort implemented in collaboration with BRICS countries will strengthen the global nature of our network and add to its competitiveness on the retail market. The market of BRICS countries boasts 3 billion consumers, and many of them consume satellite services,” http://voiceofrussia.com/

Russia, US expected to agree on GLONASS, GPS stations

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin hopes Russia and the United States will agree on deployment of GLONASS and GPS stations before September 1.

“I hope we have been heard not only in navigation departments, but first of all in Washington. I hope we will find full understanding by September 1, or we will have to do something with the stations,” Rogozin told recently.

“Despite some difficulties we have with the United States, we believe it is necessary to continue cooperation,” the deputy prime minister stressed.

Russia Mulls Privatizing ERAGLONASS Emergency Network

The Russian government will consider privatizing the state-owned ERAGLONASS emergency calls network, according to the Russian newspaper Kommersant. A plan to privatize ERA-GLONASS, a real-time satellite service for reporting and responding to traffic accidents, was recently discussed at a Kremlin meeting attended by President Putin’s chief of staff Sergei Ivanov. http://en.ria.ru/

Tribals use GPS to claim forest land rights in India

Amid their struggle to get forest land rights in Gujarat, India tribals have found a friend in a gadget that gives convincing evidence about their claims over land under the Forest Rights Act. The tribals have started using GPSdevices to mark and measure the lands they till in the forest areas. The process of such mapping had begun a couple of years ago, but today it has become a regular exercise in several pockets in south and central Gujarat to map plots cultivated by tribals. Such has been the success and word of mouth publicity of the experiment that activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Bihar asked those involved in the process to demonstrate it. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/