Russia plans to launch a GLONASS-M navigation satellite to the orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in mid-May for maintaining the performance of the global navigation system, a source in the aerospace industry told Sputnik on Saturday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2019) Russia plans to launch a GLONASS-M navigation satellite to the orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in mid-May for maintaining the performance of the global navigation system, a source in the aerospace industry told Sputnik on Saturday.
The GLONASS constellation currently includes 26 satellites with 22 of them performing their intended navigation functions. However, the system needs 24 satellites to perform these functions in order to ensure global coverage.
"The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with the Fregat upper stage and a GLONASS-M navigation satellite has been tentatively planned for mid-May for maintaining the performance of the orbital constellation ... Further launches will only be caused by technical necessity in case some satellites of the group come out of action," the source said.
At present, 16 out of 26 satellites of the constellation have expired, according to the source.
