On December 25, a Russian rocket successfully launched three satellites into orbit as part of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), bringing the total number of GLONASS satellites launched into orbit to 14.
According to the Itar-Tass news agency, Alexei Kuznetsov, spokesperson for the Russian space agency, reported that the Proton-K rocket carried three GLONASS satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:07 AM local time (05:07 AM UTC). The satellites were subsequently separated from the rocket and entered their designated orbits.
“This trio of satellites includes one older satellite that has been operational for three years and two new-generation GLONASS-M satellites equipped with advanced technical capabilities, each designed to function for seven years,” the press spokesperson for the Russian space agency stated.
The GLONASS satellite group is a federal space program approved by the Russian government. GLONASS is designed to provide information for users of navigation systems across maritime, aerial, space, and terrestrial domains, anywhere on the globe.
To date, a total of 14 GLONASS satellites have been launched into orbit. The system is expected to consist of at least 18 satellites by 2007.
