Source: Moscow, Dec 7, Itar-Tass/ACSNA/IRNA


Artist's Rendering of the GLONASS

Three satellites of the navigation system GLONASS will be launched
from the spaceport Baikonur
on December 25.
The booster Proton-K will put the satellites on the orbit. Two
navigation satellites of the old navigation system GLONASS with the
service life of three years and the satellite Glonass-M with expanded
functions and the service life of seven years will be blasted off, a
source in the office of the Space Troops commander told Itar-Tass on
Tuesday.
"One satellite Glonass-M that was put on orbit in December 2003 is
already operating in the orbital group that consists of 12 operating
satellites and one reserve satellite," the source emphasized.
The use of these satellites will allow to provide with navigation
information the unlimited number of consumers in any part of the world
and will increase the accuracy of coordinates to one meter.
"At least 18 satellites are needed for the stable operation of the
navigation system GLONASS," and they will probably be put on orbit by
in 2007," he emphasized.
"The Russian military command intends to bring their number to 24
in the future in order to provide optimal working parameters of this
navigation system and create a certain technical reserve."
GLONASS satellites are being prepared for launching and the first
stage of the booster Proton-K is being assembled at the southern
spaceport now.
Military and civil consumers use the navigation system GLONASS.
GLONASS satellites continuously transmit information about the
accurate coordinates of air, sea, ground and space objects.