Russia’s latest attempt to create its own global positioning system to rival that of the United States has ended with a crash. Literally. Three Russian satellites crashed into the Pacific Ocean after the rocket carrying them experienced a major malfunction.

The Proton rocket blasted off yesterday from the Russian launch facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It was carrying three satellites for Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System, or Glonass.

The system – which seeks to be the equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, or GPS – was developed during the Soviet era and serves both military and civilian purposes.

The government had hoped to make Glonass fully operational by the beginning of 2008, but it was delayed by equipment flaws and other technical problems.

The launch failure could delay what Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called ‘satellite navigation sovereignty,’ and Russia’s attempt to stimulate its economy by having domestic firms mass produce GLONASS consumer devices.

The state has spent $2 billion in the last 10 years on the project, being developed by oil-to-telecoms holding company Sistema.

Yesterday, the Russian Federal Space Agency said the system would be operational in under six weeks. Not so much. I’m thinking the Russians have to fish their equipment out of the Pacific Ocean before the system goes online. But then I’m not rocket scientist or satellite engineer.