GLONASS Satellites' Contribution to GNSS Solutions Examined for Baselines in the 30-60 km Range

Although Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) satellite system has been around for a while, the contribution of these satellites to solutions needs further investigation. For this purpose, Global Positioning System (GPS) and GLONASS data collected at five points are analyzed. For the analyses, GPS only, GLONASS only, and combined solutions are tested. Also, the effects of observation period and precise ephemeris are examined. The results indicate that for short observation periods when GPS satellites are not available, the inclusion of GLONASS satellites to the solutions may be considered. Otherwise, the contribution of GLONASS satellites to the solutions is questionable for medium length baseline surveys.