Russia launches three navigation satellites

Russia today launched three navigation satellites to complete its space-based global positioning system GLONASS, which Indian military is likely to use to induct its network-centric warfare systems.

The Proton-M carrier rocket bearing three satellites was launched from the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan at 0249 am IST, which were placed in their orbit after four hours.

The spokesman for the Space Forces Alexei Zolotukhin said that stable telemetric communication has been established with the satellites.

Russia is now launching advanced K-series of the satellites which prime minister Vladimir Putin has described as far advanced than US GPS system, Chinese Compas Navigation system and European Galileo Positioning System.

Russia currently has a total of 22 GLONASS satellites in orbit, but only 16 of them are operational. With today's launch, Moscow will come nearer to completing the GLONASS constellation of 24 satellites in constant orbit.

Three more GLONASS satellites are to be launched later this year to complete the GLONASS constellation. India is taking keen interest in the Russian GLONASS system and under an inter-governmental agreement, New Delhi was to launch two of the satellites on its PSLV rockets from Sriharikota.

But the project has been delayed as till end of the last year the launch had not taken place. India is the only foreign country to get the access to the military segment of the Russian GLONASS used for the precision homing of guided missiles and the two sides have agreed to jointly produce GLONASS receivers for the civilian and military requirements.

A team of Indian experts was here recently and the issue would be further advanced during prime minister Putin's upcoming New Delhi visit.