Russia To Modify Its Tracking Station In Angola, Plans to Build GLONASS Radio Stations

GLONASS
GLONASS satellite launch. Photo credit: Roscosmos

The Russian Lower Parliament on Tuesday, endorsed Russian-Angolan cooperation on space research and peaceful use of outer space, signed in April 2019 during President Joao Lourenco’s official visit to Moscow amidst plans by Roscomos to leverage the capacities of its station in Angola for data reception from Russian satellites.

The agreement includes the conditions for the exchange of information and the customs regime for special goods as well as allows the development of joint activities of both countries in the fields of space research and astrophysical research, materials science, space medicine and biology; communications, manned flights and training, as well as satellite navigation, including the deployment of GLONASS radio stations in Angola.

While briefing the lower house on the plans, the deputy chief of the state space corporation, Sergei Dubik, said the tracking station located near the Angolan capital, will be used for receiving data on Earth remote sensing after a minor renovation and modifications.

Besides this, he stated that the agency also plans to use the station for receiving telemetric information from devices that will pass through the southern hemisphere, where they do not have means of control.

In line with the terms of the agreement, Angola is set to host a land station for Russia’s GLONASS satellite navigation system. The project will be funded under the Federal space program and is estimated to cost 12 million rubles (about USD 200,000).

Global Navigation Satellite System(GLONASS) is a space-based satellite navigation system operating as part of a radio navigation-satellite service.

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