HANOVER, Germany. March 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Three space launches will be done in 2013 to maintain the appropriate size of the Glonass navigation satellite cluster. The first launch is due on April 26, Zheleznogorsk Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems General Designer and Director Nikolai Testoyedov told Interfax-AVN at the CeBIT 2013 digital and telecom technology show in Hanover, Germany.
"There are standby Glonass-M satellites in two orbital planes and the third orbital plane lacks reserves. So, a Soyuz-2.1b rocket will launch the satellite from Plesetsk on April 26," he said.
A cluster launch of three Glonass-M satellites to the third orbital plane is scheduled for summer with a Proton-M rocket from Baikonur, and a new-generation Glonass-K satellite will be put to orbit later.
Testoyedov said that the 43rd Glonass-M was inserted into the designated orbital slot on Tuesday. It replaced a removed satellite. Twenty-four Glonass satellites are operating at present, which makes the coverage global, Testoyedov said.