Moscow, Russia, 26 March 2007: Russia has earmarked 9.88 billion rubles ($380 million) for its global navigation system GLONASS program in 2007, the Russian space agency said on Monday.
“A total of 24.4 billion rubles ($938 million) has been earmarked from the federal budget for the federal space program in 2007, and 9.88 billion rubles for GLONASS,” said Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency.
In 2006, the figures were 23 billion rubles and 4.72 billion, respectively. Perminov also said that an additional 1.8 billion rubles ($69 million) had been allocated to secure the launch of GLONASS satellites in 2008-2009.
In December 2005, President Vladimir Putin ordered the system to be ready by 2008, and First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said GLONASS would be available to domestic users for military as well civilian purposes by the end of 2007.
