GPS Stops Working ? No Problem - We Have GLONASS . . .

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Maybe nothing "groundbreaking" but like the "turtle and hare" fable, the Russians are currently the only game in town when it comes to putting people into orbit and getting them back.

I believe the EU and the Japanese also have missions scheduled to the ISS.

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by captainKJ

by the way is not sailing fromt he stone age also,

It is indeed! Quite famous for developing the original Rock-na anchor design.

(OK, I'm done.)

[ViribusUnitis]

Originally Posted by Adamante

I believe the EU and the Japanese also have missions scheduled to the ISS.

Not manned, only unmanned cargo modules.

The US has two programs for unmanned cargo modules, and one of those is being adapted to be manned, and fly people when required.

The US space program is far from dead. With any luck SpaceX will be launching men for the US at a fraction of the cost of any other space faring nation, starting sometime next year.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by ViribusUnitis

Not manned, only unmanned cargo modules.

The US has two programs for unmanned cargo modules, and one of those is being adapted to be manned, and fly people when required.

The US space program is far from dead. With any luck SpaceX will be launching men for the US at a fraction of the cost of any other space faring nation, starting sometime next year.

So right..think Dick Rutan /Scaled Composites!

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by ViribusUnitis

Not manned, only unmanned cargo modules.

Frankly, I don't think it matters any more. In the early days, manned space program was exciting both as a scientific venture and as a political contest. Those days are gone. Nationalistic fist pumping about the prestige of manned orbital capabilities is an anachronism best left to countries the likes of Iran.

Letting the Russians do the heavy lifting on manned orbital flight should save us a lot of money. I would much rather see that money spent on things like continued improvements to the GPS and the build-out of the satellite communications infrastructure. It would be great to have broadband internet access in the middle of the Pacific at an affordable price. And we don't need manned orbital flights to accomplish that.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by osirissail

I found a link from my Russian newsfeed that lists currently that the GLONASS system currently has 16 operational satellites. They need 18 satellites on line for complete coverage of Russia. They need 24 satellites on line for worldwide coverage.
- - Since there are currently only 19 satellites in orbit they barely can make the Russian territory coverage goal. Three satellites were lost earlier and currently after two unsuccessful Soyuz launches this week, future GLONASS launches are on hold until the rockets can be fixed.
- - Interestingly enough, two European Galileo GPS satellites are to be launched in October from French Guiana using a Russian Soyuz rocket.
- - This to be shaping up as a bad year for GPS systems and the ISS as the Russian Soyuz is currently the only way to get there.

Russian Link: GLONASS, Russia

That information is from December, 2009. As of today in August, 2011, Glonass is working with 27 satellites up and 23 operational, covering nearly the whole world. See more current information here: Constellation status; GLONASS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The system was made fully operational in 1995 just a couple of years behind GPS. But the budget was cut in the midst of the post-Communist economic turmoil in Russia, and the constellation fell into disrepair. The Russians are now spending billions on it. I believe that most new generation smartphone GPS chips support GLONASS, and more and more navigation devices support it. It seems to be here to stay.

[osirissail]

Great info, now I gotta get one of the Garmin's. I hope Garmin expands the capability to their other models.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Adamante

But since those early accomplishments, the Russians have done virtually nothing groundbreaking in just about any area in the last 50 years. I wish it weren't so.

It is truly hard to tell who is right: you or the government who has been trying to protect you from virtually nothing over these last 50 years, isn't it.

;-)
b

[MikeinLA]

Originally Posted by Adamante

I am delaying my decision to go cruising until Glonass, Gallileo and the Chinese Compass navigation system are all fully operational.

The only problem with the Chinese system is that wherever in the world you are, it always directs you to the nearest Walmart.

Mike

[Adamante]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

It is truly hard to tell who is right: you or the government who has been trying to protect you from virtually nothing over these last 50 years, isn't it.
b

You have to remember that the principles of Russian atomic arsenal were not developed in Russia, they were stolen from the West. Nothing groundbreaking (ehm) about stealing someone else's nuclear technology.

In any case, I hope Glonass operates as advertised and we all benefit. However, given my first-hand experience with Russian technology, if Glonass were the only GPS system available, I think I might actually be tempted to carry paper charts.

[imagine2frolic]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

He didn't have a sextant either (or charts)

He may have not had a sextant, but I believe he either had, or saw charts. Read 1421, and it will be hard to put down.......i2f

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Adamante

You have to remember that the principles of Russian atomic arsenal were not developed in Russia, they were stolen from the West. Nothing groundbreaking (ehm) about stealing someone else's nuclear technology.

In any case, I hope Glonass operates as advertised and we all benefit. However, given my first-hand experience with Russian technology, if Glonass were the only GPS system available, I think I might actually be tempted to carry paper charts.

Did they really steal them or were they given to the russians,as one country with atomic weapons is the enemy of the world ...much better to have at least two countries with the capabilty . DVC

[Capn Morgan]

Originally Posted by Adamante

Man, having to explain your own jokes is always so awkward - for both sides.

Shudda thrown in that winky face after all... (taking no more chances)

I feel like a fool for my sense-of-humour failure.... apologies.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Adamante

You have to remember that the principles of Russian atomic arsenal were not developed in Russia, they were stolen from the West. Nothing groundbreaking (ehm) about stealing someone else's nuclear technology.

In any case, I hope Glonass operates as advertised and we all benefit. However, given my first-hand experience with Russian technology, if Glonass were the only GPS system available, I think I might actually be tempted to carry paper charts.

They stole some fission bomb technology (and we stole some of it ourselves from the Germans), but fusion bombs -- hydrogen bombs -- the Soviets (not just Russians) invented all by themselves independently from us. Their nuclear physicists were just as good as ours all through the Cold War, as evidenced by the number of Nobel Prizes they won.

The Soviets put the first artificial satellite in space, and the first man in space. They have put more men in space than all other nations combined, and the Russians are the only nation which has never had a gap in their capability of putting people into space. Their rocket boosters are more reliable than ours (more expensive, too, but the cost is recouped through lower insurance costs). Their rocket engines are without a doubt the best in the world -- in fact, most U.S. commercial space launches are now powered by Russian engines -- the RD-180 produced by Energomash in Moscow, which are used as the main engines of the American Atlas V booster -- our most advanced expendable booster. RD-180 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


So, Russian technology is pretty damn good in some areas. In space and rocket technology, they have always been a world leader, starting all the way back when Konstantin Tsiolkovsky came up with the Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation and other aspects of the basic science which made space flight possible, at the end of the 19th century. They are the world leader today in space flight, as they have been for most of the last 50 years.


"Russia continues to dominate in the world in total number of launches (31). It is worth noting that China equaled the number of orbital launches conducted by the United States (15). In terms of commercial flights, a trend continues: Russia and Europe lead the way with commercial launches, usually in that order, with the U.S. coming in third." http://moonandback.com/2011/01/11/th...ransportation/

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Maybe nothing "groundbreaking" but like the "turtle and hare" fable, the Russians are currently the only game in town when it comes to putting people into orbit and getting them back.

Indeed.