MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russia will continue developing its Glonass orbital navigation system with the launch of six new satellites, First Deputy CEO of State Space Corporation Roscosmos forRo Orbital Grouping Development and Priority Projects Yuri Urlichich said on Wednesday.
"We will have new satellites in other orbits that will help us solve the tasks of improving accessibility on the territory of Russia. We are planning to launch six space vehicles that will qualitatively improve the Glonass system. This will improve the accuracy, accessibility and integrity of the system," Urlichich said at the 8th Era-Glonass international congress.
‘What will this yield for us as consumers? Intellectual transport systems will become even greater reality and humans’ work in them will become even less and unpiloted systems will emerge. Of course, there will be those willing to drive automobiles themselves but gradually they will find themselves on special tracks and special roads," the Roscosmos official said.
"As of today, producers predict a total reduction in the production of automobiles. However, the human population is growing and there will be more rides but they will be unpiloted as unpiloted transport, both freight vehicles and cars, is awaiting us," he noted.
In 2011, Russia launched its first Glonass-K satellite, which has been undergoing flight trials since then, and in 2014 its analogue was launched, Urlichich said.
"In 2019, we are already waiting for the Glonass-K2, which will enable us to solve many tasks with a better quality. As of today, the Glonass orbital satellite grouping comprises 24 vehicles in their standard operation and it will continue developing," the Roscosmos first deputy head said.
Today, only two navigation systems have been fully deployed in the world: the Russian Glonass and the US GPS. The Chinese Beidou system and the European Galileo will be deployed but they are lagging behind, he said.
"The European system is more than 15 years late compared to its initial plans while we have been able both to create and maintain our system and we are creating products on its basis, such as the Era-Glonass - the emergency response to traffic accidents. When we were starting the Era-Glonass program, we were behind Europeans. But we have managed to make it first and this is the first national system of such a scope," the Roscosmos official said.