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Russia launches navigation satellite
Source: Xinhua |
February 26, 2011, Saturday
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Russia successfully launched a navigation satellite Glonass-K and sent it into a planned orbit today, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Glonass-K satellite, the first new-generation satellite of Russia's Glonass navigation system, was launched by a Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk launch site at 6:07am local time (0307 GMT), spokesman Lt. Col. Alexei Zolotukhin said.
The Fregat booster of the rocket sent the satellite into its intended orbit at 9:39am local time (0639 GMT), Zolotukhin said, adding that the separation of the booster and the satellite went as planned.
The launch of the Glonass-K satellite was originally scheduled for Thursday, but the Russian Defense Ministry postponed the launch twice due to "technical reasons."
Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS), designed for both military and civilian uses. The system requires 24 operational and two to three reserve satellites in orbit to ensure global coverage.
However, a Proton-M carrier rocket with three Glonass satellites veered off course and sank in the Pacific Ocean after launch on December 5.
Investigators said the loss of three Glonass satellites was due to the malfunction of the Proton-M caused by incorrect fueling of the upper booster, and that the satellites themselves "had nothing to do with the failure."
The Defense Ministry said December's failed launch had not greatly hurt the Glonass navigation system, as the 22 Glonass satellites and other spare satellites were capable of covering Russia's territory.
The Glonass-K satellite, the first new-generation satellite of Russia's Glonass navigation system, was launched by a Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from the Plesetsk launch site at 6:07am local time (0307 GMT), spokesman Lt. Col. Alexei Zolotukhin said.
The Fregat booster of the rocket sent the satellite into its intended orbit at 9:39am local time (0639 GMT), Zolotukhin said, adding that the separation of the booster and the satellite went as planned.
The launch of the Glonass-K satellite was originally scheduled for Thursday, but the Russian Defense Ministry postponed the launch twice due to "technical reasons."
Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System (GPS), designed for both military and civilian uses. The system requires 24 operational and two to three reserve satellites in orbit to ensure global coverage.
However, a Proton-M carrier rocket with three Glonass satellites veered off course and sank in the Pacific Ocean after launch on December 5.
Investigators said the loss of three Glonass satellites was due to the malfunction of the Proton-M caused by incorrect fueling of the upper booster, and that the satellites themselves "had nothing to do with the failure."
The Defense Ministry said December's failed launch had not greatly hurt the Glonass navigation system, as the 22 Glonass satellites and other spare satellites were capable of covering Russia's territory.
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