MOSCOW. Jan 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is planning to launch three to six spacecraft of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) in 2002, boosting the system's orbital group by over 30 percent, Colonel Mikhail Lebedev, head of the Space Troops coordination and information center, said on Friday.
Three satellites are expected to be launched in May and another three in December, Lebedev told Interfax-Military News Agency. "Taking into account deorbiting of time-expired satellites, the group will have 12 spacecraft by the end of the year," he said.
The Research and Production Association of Applied Mechanics located in the city of Krasnoyarsk is developing a new series of satellites for the GLONASS. The spacecraft designated Glonass-K will be orbited starting from 2005. The term of their functioning in orbit will make 10 and more years, while their weight will be twice smaller than that of Glonass and Glonass-M satellites.
A Soyuz-type booster rocket can launch one Glonass or Glonass-M satellite. When Glonass-K spacecraft are commissioned, it will be able to boost two satellites at a time. As to the Proton heavy rocket, it will launch six satellites at once, Lebedev said.
The Global Navigation System federal purpose-oriented program envisages restoration of the regular strength of the GLONASS orbital group by 2008. Twenty-four satellites must be in orbit permanently to meet requirements of the program. By that time Russia will be launching only Glonass-K satellites with an enhanced service life and doubled accuracy of operation. The program intended for 2002 to 2011 requires about RUB23.7bn (USD774.13m).