Russia’s Glonass-M satellite put into orbit

Russia sent another Glonass-M navigation satellite into orbit on Monday, said Alexei Zolotukhin, spokesman of Russian Space Forces. The Soyuz carrier rocket with the satellite on board was launched from the Plesetsk space center earlier in the day. Mission control specialists have been holding a steady connection with the satellite, Zolotukhin said. The satellite’s onboard systems are operating normally. The Glonass-M will augment a group of 30 Glonass satellites already in orbit. This was the last launch of a Glonass satellite this year. Glonass is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters. Russia’s Glonass system currently has 23 operational satellites, while a total of 24 is needed to provide global coverage. On November 4, three reserve Glonass-M satellites were launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan after three Glonass-Ms were destroyed in a failed launch last year.