GLONASS
Russian satellite navigation system
The Global Navigation Satellite System (Russian: Глобальная навигационная спутниковая система, romanized: Global'naya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema), usually referred to by the acronym GLONASS (ГЛОНАСС, IPA: [ɡɫɐˈnas]), is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radionavigation-satellite service. It provides an alternative to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and was the second navigational system in operation with global coverage and of comparable precision.
Satellite navigation devices supporting both GPS and GLONASS have more satellites available, meaning positions can be fixed more quickly and accurately, especially in built-up areas where buildings may obscure the view to some satellites. Owing to its higher orbital inclination, GLONASS supplementation of GPS systems also improves positioning in high latitudes (near the poles).
Development of GLONASS began in the Soviet Union in 1976. Beginning on 12 October 1982, numerous rocket launches added satellites to the system until the completion of the constellation in 1995. In 2001, after a decline in capacity during the late 1990s, the restoration of the system was made a government priority, and funding increased substantially. GLONASS is the most expensive program of Roscosmos, consuming a third of its budget in 2010.
By 2010, GLONASS had achieved full coverage of Russia's territory. In October 2011, the full orbital constellation of 24 satellites was restored, enabling full global coverage.
“GLONASS” enters the record as russian satellite navigation system. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what GLONASS, Russian and satellite can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“GLONASS” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, GLONASS, Russian and satellite provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 12, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q486250. None of the 2 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1976, 1982, 1995 and 2001.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “GLONASS”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow GLONASS primary sources, GLONASS archive and GLONASS research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “GLONASS”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “GLONASS” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.