Posted: Tue, Dec 26, 2006, 12:10 PM ET (1710 GMT)
A Russian Proton rocket launched three GLONASS navigation satellites late Monday. The Proton-K lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:18 pm EST (2018 GMT) Monday and placed three GLONASS M satellites into medium Earth orbits. GLONASS is the Russian version of the American GPS satellite navigation system. Russia has been gradually replenishing the GLONASS constellation in recent years after the system fell into disrepair following the collapse of the Soviet Union 15 years ago. Excluding the three spacecraft launched Monday there are 11 operational GLONASS satellites plus 5 more that are at least temporarily turned off. Russia plans to have a full complement of 24 operational satellites by 2009.

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