The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, ratified the cooperation agreement with Mexico that contemplates the installation of networks of the Glonass system, similar to the US GPS, and an electronic optical system for the prevention of dangerous space situations.
“The agreement was prepared and signed in view of the stable trend of expanding cooperation between Russia and Mexico in the space sphere through joint projects,” reads the document made public by the Kremlin.
This ratification was signed by the Russian president on September 28, although it was made public when he turned 70.
In accordance with the agreement established for peaceful purposes, Russia will install networks of the Glonass system – a counterpart to the US GPS – for navigation with Russian-managed satellites. There will also be an optical-electronic system for the prevention of dangerous space situations in Mexico.
Mexico denies it
However, Mexico denies the installation of this satellite system. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón, denied said ratification.
“I share with you a communication from Dr. Salvador Landeros, Director of the Mexican Space Agency, in which he informs me that the Glonass satellite system will not be installed in Mexico. The Reference Framework Agreement does not mention or include it and it is not planned to install it in our country”, detailed through Twitter .
Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System, better known as Glonass, is managed by that country’s space agency and was put into space 40 years ago, on October 12, 1982.
Currently, this type of satellite is present in Russia, Brazil, Antarctica and Cuba, locations that form a triangle figure, according to the BBC.
Although the main use that has been given to this type of Glonass technology is for military purposes, there is an intention that it can be integrated into the daily life of the population, as is already the case with the GPS in the United States.
