Sweet! New Space Race!

The first one gave us Satellite TV. what wonders will this one bring?!

RFE/RL: President Putin told the cabinet on March 12 that Russia's Glonass global navigation system must become cheaper and of better quality than the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), RIA Novosti reported. "You know what attention I pay to Glonass, and I hope relevant attention will be paid to it" by others, he said. The Federal Space Agency plans to have 18 satellites in orbit by early 2008 and all of its planned orbital group of 24 satellites in operation by the end of 2009. The agency is negotiating with GPS and the EU's Galileo on unspecified joint-use projects. Glonass has both military and civilian applications. PM