Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov (left) says satellites' life will rise to 10 years by the end of 2009.
Photo: Gennadiy Gulyaev
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Global Navigation Satellite System to Be Launched This Year
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov said Wednesday he is sure the Russian global navigation satellite system will be put into operation by the end of the year.
There is no doubt that Russian space officials will fulfill their obligations and orbit 18 space aircrafts of the GLONASS system by the end of 2007, the Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.
The new satellites are designed for 5 years of operation, while old satellites worked for one and a half years. Sergey Ivanov mentioned that the life of the aircrafts will rise to 10 years by the end of 2009.
The deputy prime minister also mentioned that there are still some difficulties with land facilities which service the system.
Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency, earlier said works to create GLONASS are due to finish before 2009 when 24 satellites are to be launched. The navigation satellite system is to be compatible with the similar European Galileo system.
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