Belarus to set up more GPS, GLONASS reference stations

There are plans to commission ten continuously operating reference stations (CORS) in Belarus in January 2015 for the sake of the global satellite-powered positioning system, BelTA learned from Andrei Anashenkov, Chief Engineer of the Belarusian aerospace geodesy enterprise Belaerocosmogeodesy.

In his words, ten CORS stations will begin test operation on 1 October 2014 to start acceptance procedures on 1 December. Acceptance procedures usually take 20 days, thus, the stations are likely to be commissioned in early 2015, explained the source. Three CORS stations will be located in Vitebsk Oblast, another five in Gomel Oblast, and two more in Minsk Oblast.

Fifteen CORS stations have been commissioned in Belarus since the beginning of the year as part of the second phase of the entire system’s deployment. According to Andrei Anashenkov, the Belarusian national satellite-based precise positioning system comprises 63 continuously operating stations. In the long term Belarus will have a total of 99 CORS stations.

CORS stations offer precise positioning services by receiving signals from the Russian global positioning system GLONASS and the American system GPS. The data is processed by a dedicated computing center and is routed to consumers.

The system provides precise positions of objects, for instance, underground communications or borders of land plots, with the precision of 1-5cm. CORS stations rule out many errors in the design and construction of facilities because positions are measured using the uniform coordinates system of Belarus, noted Andrei Anashenkov.

The Belarusian state-run enterprise Belaerocosmogeodesy specializes in geodesy and mapmaking services. The enterprise is part of the State Property Committee of Belarus.