 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Moscow, Russia (RIA Novosti) Mar 07, 2011 Russia will start operating its new Glonass-K navigation satellite, which is now undergoing in-orbit tests, by the end of the year, the head of the Russian Space Systems construction bureau has said. The Russian Space Forces successfully launched the satellite from the Plesetsk space center in northern Russia on February 26. This was the first launch carried out from Plesetsk; previously, Glonass satellites had been launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. "We are planning to start operating [the Glonass-K satellite] this year," Yury Urlichich told the Russia24 TV channel, noting that the new satellite's operation period will be three years longer than that of its predecessors. The Glonass satellite network is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters. The Glonass-K, which has a service life of 10 years, will beam five navigation signals - four in the special L1 and L2 bands and one for civilian applications in the L3 band. Russia currently has 22 fully-operational Glonass satellites in orbit. The complete Glonass grouping must have 24 operational and 2-3 reserve satellites for the Glonass network to operate with global coverage. Another three Glonass-M satellites are planned to be launched in the third quarter of 2011 to complete the grouping, Urlichich said. The previous launch under the Glonass project in December 2010, supposed to conclude the forming of the satellite grouping, was unsuccessful as the rocket veered off course and sunk in the Pacific Ocean. The loss cost Russia 2.5 billion rubles ($86 million) in direct damages.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links - GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers
N. Korea jammed S. Korea GPS devices: reportSeoul (AFP) March 6, 2011 North Korea used jamming equipment to block South Korean military communication devices last week, a report said Sunday, amid high tension over the joint drills between Seoul and Washington. Yonhap news agency said strong jamming signals sent across the border on Friday had caused minor disruptions to phones and navigational devices using GPS (Global Positioning System) at military units ne ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
