GPS

PRS92 surveying standard compulsory

All offices of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Philippines have to adopt the Philippine Reference System of 1992 (PRS92) as the standard reference for all their surveying and mapping activities. “PRS92 is based on the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) which makes use of the GPS. Adoption of this system in the Philippines may help the country to be at par with global standards.
www.zamboangatoday.ph

Russia loses and then finds GEO-IK-2

Russia restored contact with a military satellite, GEO-IK-2. The satellite went missing the day before, after entering into the wrong orbit. It has been designed to create a detailed 3-D map of the Earth and help the Russian military to locate the precise positions of various targets. The Russian Defense Ministry has set up a joint commission with Russia’s space agency Roscosmos to investigate the possible causes of the incident and to attempt bringing the satellite to the designated orbit.

RIA Novosti

Russia, India collaborate on GLONASS

India has long been famous for its highly qualified engineers and programmers. It is natural that Russia’s federal operator of Glonass, the NIS company, is strongly interested in India’s market. At the same time, Indian innovative achievements can also come in handy in Russia, the deputy head of the NIS company Vladimir Vozhzhov said in an interview with the Voice of Russia. “Last year the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), the NIS company and India’s Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed a MOU to establish a joint venture that would provide navigation services on Indian territory. A draft agreement has been finalized already and now is due to be considered in Delhi,” Vladimir Vozhzhov said. “The joint venture will help promote Russian technology in India and launch the production of navigational equipment there not only for domestic use but for also for exports into Russia. Later this equipment will be delivered to dozens of other countries interested in operating Glonass,” Vozhzhov believes.

RIA Novosti

Contract given for navigation system

Northrop Grumman and the University of Minnesota will develop a collaborative navigation system that leverages sensor information from multiple aircraft. It will allow highly accurate navigation performance in all flight conditions, even in areas where GPS information is unavailable. The contract for the system development comes from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for its Collaborative Robust Integrated Sensor Positioning Program.

www.upi.com

GLONASS-K launched

The first new-generation satellite GLONASS-K reached its targeted orbit on Feb 26, 2011. It was carried into its planned orbit by a Fregat booster. The Glonass-K, which has a service life of 10 years, will transmit five navigation signals

Minister blames Russian space agency

Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov accused Russian space agency Roscosmos of failing to manufacture enough advanced spacecraft. “To a large extent, the plans have been foiled,” he said. Russia made only five out of a planned 11 spacecraft last year, although the country maintained the global lead in the number of space launches, totaling 31 in 2010. He also confirmed that the loss of three Glonass satellites last year cost Russia 2.5 billion rubles ($86 million) in direct damage.

RIA Novosti