Article Posted on : - Feb 24, 2011

A file photo.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia's plan to launch Thursday the carrier rocket Soyuz with a new GLONASS satellite from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, has been postponed for 24 hours.

"The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with GLONASS spacecraft has been postponed for 24 hours -- to a reserve date -- for technical reasons," Lieutenant-Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin, spokesman of Russia's Space Defence Forces, was quoted as saying in a news report by Itar-Tass.

GLONASS-K is the first Russian-made on-hermetically-sealed navigation satellite, with a 10-year service life. It masses 935 kilograms (the older model's weight reaches 1,415 kilograms) and boasts better navigational sighting as it has a third frequency in L-band. Also, it carries equipment of the international KOSPAS-SARSAT search and rescue system.

The purpose of the launch is to boost the orbiting cluster of GLONASS units.

There are currently 26 satellites in the GLONASS system as of now, of which 20 are in dedicated use, two are in reserve and four are out of operation for maintenance, according to the Central Research Institute of Machine Building.