Russia is planning to invest RUR346.5bn ($12bn) on its Glonass satellite navigation system during 2012-2020, which is creating a navigation programme that is independent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS).

Of the total investment earmarked for the project the Russian Government will spend RUB146.9bn ($5bn) to support the navigation system and RUB138.3bn ($4.6bn) to develop it.

The Russian Federal Space Agency and the country’s economics ministry had agreed on a draft development programme for the Glonass project, which is waiting for approval from the government, according to Russian daily Kommersant.

The new programme is intended to adapt Glonass to consumer needs, whereas it is already being used to track housing and utilities infrastructure as well as public transportation.

By 2020 Russia has plans to send 30 satellites into orbit, including six in reserve satellites, out of which the country will launch 13 Glonass-M satellites and 22 new-generation Glonass-K spacecraft by the end of the decade.

In order to lift the satellites into orbit, Russia is planning to build eight Proton-M and 11 Soyuz-2.1b carrier rockets.

Glonass will be a constellation of 31 positioning and navigation satellites with 24 operating to provide global coverage, four in reserve and one is undergoing trials, operated by the Russian Government for both military and civilian uses.

The Glonass-M is an enhanced model with a lifespan of seven years that features 12 primary antennas for L-band transmissions and laser corner-cube reflectors for orbit determination and geodetic research.

The Glonass system transfers data to a ground control station (GCS) using a standard precision (SP) signal and modified high precision (HP) signal and is launched atop a four-stage Soyuz-2 rocket launcher manufactured by Ariane Space.