Launch of Russian Glonass Satellite Scheduled for October 16 - Manufacturer

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st September, 2020) A cutting-edge Glonass-K satellite is scheduled for launch on October 16, Nikolay Testoyedov, the director general of Russian satellite maker ISS-Reshetnev Company, a part of Roscosmos State Space Corporation, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"The nearest launch we have is planned for October 16, 2020. A next-generation Glonass-K apparatus is set to take flight.

The apparatus is manufactured, [and] we are preparing to send it to the spaceport," Testoyedov said in an interview.

At the moment, the Glonass constellation consists of 27 satellites, including 24 operational devices in orbit. Among the rest, one is in reserve, one is in testing and one is being studied, Testoyedov added.

In February, ISS-Reshetnev Company spokesman Roman Fatkulin said that nine Glonass-K satellites would be launched into orbit from 2020-2022.