Russia launches GLONASS satellites
Posted: Mon, Dec 27, 2004, 12:19 PM ET (1719 GMT)
A Proton rocket successfully launched three GLONASS navigation satellites on Sunday. The Proton-K booster lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:54 am EST (1354 GMT) Sunday and placed three GLONASS navigation satellites into transfer orbits. Two of the satellites were standard GLONASS spacecraft with three-year lifetimes while the third was a modernized GLONASS-M spacecraft with a seven-year lifetime. The GLONASS system, similar to the American GPS system and the European Galileo system under development, fell into disrepair after the end of the Cold War, when Russia was unable to launch enough replacement satellites to maintain the constellation. The launch brings the number of GLONASS spacecraft in orbit to 16, at least two of which are on-orbit spares. Russia in recent months has committed itself to bringing the system up to the required minimum of 18 active satellites by 2007, and recently signed an agreement with India that will provide for the launches of GLONASS satellites on Indian launch vehicles.
A Proton rocket successfully launched three GLONASS navigation satellites on Sunday. The Proton-K booster lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 8:54 am EST (1354 GMT) Sunday and placed three GLONASS navigation satellites into transfer orbits. Two of the satellites were standard GLONASS spacecraft with three-year lifetimes while the third was a modernized GLONASS-M spacecraft with a seven-year lifetime. The GLONASS system, similar to the American GPS system and the European Galileo system under development, fell into disrepair after the end of the Cold War, when Russia was unable to launch enough replacement satellites to maintain the constellation. The launch brings the number of GLONASS spacecraft in orbit to 16, at least two of which are on-orbit spares. Russia in recent months has committed itself to bringing the system up to the required minimum of 18 active satellites by 2007, and recently signed an agreement with India that will provide for the launches of GLONASS satellites on Indian launch vehicles.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, February 16
Artemis II Moon flyby is high-risk test, but crew is ready, Polish ESA doctor says
Polskie Radio — 4:51 am ET (0951 GMT) 6 Reasons A Mars Telecommunications Orbiter Matters To Us All
Rocket Lab — 4:50 am ET (0950 GMT) Musk’s lunar city plan supercharges America’s return to the moon
The Hill — 4:50 am ET (0950 GMT) SpaceX Dragon delivers new crew to International Space Station
UPI — 4:50 am ET (0950 GMT) ISRO rocket remains washed up in Maldives? Here's what happened
CNBC TV18 (India) — 4:38 am ET (0938 GMT) |
