The second Russian new generation navigational satellite Glonass-K was successfully orbited, – Russian Ministry of Defence Aerospace Defence troops press-office representative colonel Alexey Zolotukhin reported.
Glonass is a Russian analogue of American GPS navigation system being at the present time nos as accurate as its American counterpart. Glonass-K is the third generation of Glonass system satellites (after Glonass and Glonass-M). First satellites of Glonass-K generation were orbited in 2011, these satellites will be launched by 2020.
Glonass-K is to increase the accuracy of the system.
Soyuz-2.1b booster with Glonass-K satellite was successfully launched from Plesetsk spaceport situated in Arkhangels region on Monday, December 1, 2014, 00.52, Moscow time.
“Soyuz-2.1b booster with the help of Fregat upper stage successfully set Russian navigational satellite into the orbit”,- Zolotukhin stated.
Upon the separation at 04.25, Moscow time, Titov Main Test Space Centre belonging to Aerospace Defence Troops Space Command took control over the satellite.
Titov Centre situated in Krasnoznamensk (Moscow region) controls 80% of Russian orbital group satellites (except missile warning system satellites controlled by another authorities).
