MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2019) More than half of satellites of the Russian global navigation system GLONASS are operating despite the expiry of the warranty period established by the manufacturer, according to data of the satellites' operator, GLONASS System Control Center.
As of Monday, 13 out of 23 operating satellites, which were launched between 2007 and 2011, exceeded the warranty period established by the manufacturer, Information Satellite Systems Reshetnev (part of Roscosmos).
All of them belong to the Glonass-M series, which have a guaranteed 7-year lifespan. The oldest satellite, which was launched in 2007, exceeded the warranty period by five years.
Another 10 devices used in the system were launched between 2012 and 2019. Nine of them have a 7-year lifespan, while one, Glonass-K, boasts a 10-year warranty period. Accordingly, all of them are under warranty of the manufacturer.
In addition, GLONASS group includes four more satellites that are not used for their intended purpose. All of them are either outside the warranty period of existence, or are approaching the "retirement age."
Currently, new GLONASS satellites are launched once a need arises to replace old devices. The manufacturer now has four Glonass-Ms ready for launch, and several new Glonass-Ks in production.
The GLONASS satellite navigation system was developed as a Russian alternative to the GPS. It consists of 24 currently operational satellites, allowing real-time positioning and speed data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the world.
