Glonass Completion Now Expected This Year
By Maxim Pyadushkin, Michael A. Taverna
Moscow, Paris
The Russian government is struggling to compensate for a Proton launch failure that dashed hopes of having a full 24-unit Glonass navigation satellite constellation in service by the end of 2010.
The mishap, which occurred on Dec. 5, destroyed three Glonass M spacecraft that would have ensured a full operating capability (see p. 29). As of Dec. 28, Glonass ...