#satellites

GLONASS-K Satellite (Image Source) Six years later, the first three GLONASS satellites took flight aboard the Proton rocket, though only one of the three is functional. This was followed by numerous satellite-laden rocket launches in the succeeding years, and by April of 1991, the Soviet Union had successfully put up 43 GLONASS-related satellites in space, including five test satellites. How it works In a nutshell, GLONASS is another set of satellites, 24 to be exact, on top of GPS sats that further improves accuracy and reliability of navigation devices. In most cases, GPS satellites suffice in providing near-accurate results for your map apps and navigation accessories on your car. But in order to get an accurate result out of a GPS-enabled device, it needs to a have clear line-of-sight to at least four (4) satellites out of the 27 sats out in space. However, in highly urbanized areas, some devices struggle to meet the required 4 satellites, resulting to poor navigation results and inaccuracy. Thus, having extra 24 satellites, the GLONASS, speeds up the process of pinpointing a specific location, as well as improving the accuracy of location-based applications. Read more in our articles including "Pacquiao wants SpaceX to build a launchpad in Mindanao" and "What is GLONASS?".