ISS Reshetnev to build 11 new GLONASS-K satellites
ISS Reshetnev has signed a contract with Russian space agency Roscosmos to build 11 new GLONASS satellites, according to the Roscosmos website. ISS Reshetnev is Russia’s leading spacecraft developer and manufacturer.
ISS Reshetnev will build nine GLONASS-K1 satellites and two GLONASS-K2 satellites. The GLONASS-K1 satellites will be transition satellites between the existing GLONASS-M satellites and the future GLONASS-K2 satellites.
GLONASS-K2 satellites will begin flight tests in 2018, with mass production of GLONASS-K2 satellites to begin in the 2019–2020 time frame.
The GLONASS-K1 satellites are expected to have a 10-year lifetime. The first of the new batch of GLONASS-K1 satellites will be launched in 2018.
Flight tests of the two GLONASS-K1 satellites now in orbit have been completed.
— written with assistance from Richard Langley, “Innovation” editor.
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