GLONASS 701K Reactivated

News courtesy of CANSPACE Listserv.

GLONASS 701K, the first GLONASS-K1 satellite, launched on February 26, 2011, has been reactivated on frequency channel -5. GLONASS 701K, still undergoing flight tests, had previously been active, transmitting legacy FDMA signals on channel -5 between April 8 and October 10, 2011, using almanac slot 4 although the satellite was (and still is) physically in/near orbital slot 21. Transmissions resumed on October 31, 2011, using almanac slot 3, and ceased again on November 30, 2011. During these tests, the satellite was set unhealthy in the broadcast almanac.

GLONASS 701K does not currently appear in the broadcast almanacs but its broadcast ephemeris gives its designation as 26 or R26 in IGS nomenclature.

Some receivers may not currently track GLONASS 701K (also known as GLONASS 801 by the IGS to distinguish the satellite from an earlier GLONASS-M satellite also numbered 701) given that it is not in the almanacs and/or has a non-orthodox slot number. Some software providing conversions between receiver data formats and RINEX formats may not recognize the satellite either.

However, according to reports, at least Javad receivers can successfully track the satellite at the moment.

The reactivation of GLONASS 701K may be a hint that plans to expand the GLONASS constellation from 24 to 30 satellites, as previously reported, are actually underway.

Thanks to T.S. Kelso and Javad Ashjaee for information concerning the reactivation of the satellite.