ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow region. Aug 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is creating the Gonets space communications system, which will consist of 36 satellites deployed in a low near-earth orbit, Roskosmos Vice President Anatoly Shilov told Interfax on Thursday.
"We plan a group of 36 Gonets satellites. Presently, there are only six satellites in the orbit, but we will launch three satellites this year, six satellites next year and we plan to deploy this system fully in the future," Shilov said.
Shilov specified that a similar system, called Orbcom, is now operating in the U.S.
"The Gonets system will make it possible to have communications in all remote areas and also where communications should be confidential," Shilov said.
The system sends coded messages from the Earth to a satellite, Shilov said. "This signal is then transmitted form satellite to satellite to the intended consumer. This system has very many services and capabilities," he said.