GLONASS

GLONASS is Russia’s global satellite navigation system, providing positioning, navigation, and timing through signals broadcast by orbiting satellites.

Global navigation satellite system: A satellite constellation and ground infrastructure that provide positioning, navigation, and timing worldwide. GLONASS is one national system within this broader class of satellite navigation systems.
Satellite constellation: A coordinated group of satellites arranged to provide a shared service. GLONASS needs satellites distributed around Earth so multiple spacecraft remain visible at once.
Soviet Union: A socialist state that existed across much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. GLONASS began as a Soviet satellite navigation program during the Cold War.
GNSS receiver: A device that processes satellite navigation signals to estimate position, velocity, or time. Receivers combine GLONASS with other constellations to improve availability and coverage.
GPS: The United States’ global satellite navigation system, operated by the Space Force. GPS is GLONASS’s closest counterpart and is often used alongside it.
Trilateration: A method of determining position from distances to known points. A receiver estimates its location by combining measured ranges to multiple GLONASS satellites.
Medium Earth orbit: An orbital region between low Earth orbit and geostationary orbit. GLONASS satellites orbit at medium altitude, balancing coverage, visibility, and constellation size.
Russian Space Forces: The Russian military branch responsible for space operations and related capabilities. Russian military organizations have operated and developed GLONASS since the Soviet era.
Assisted GNSS: A technique that supplies a satellite receiver with network-provided data to speed or improve fixes. Mobile devices can use assistance data to acquire GLONASS satellites more quickly.
Galileo: The European Union’s global satellite navigation system. Galileo provides a civilian-governed alternative with distinct signals and institutional control.

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