Russia has suspended two satellites belonging to the Global Navigation Satellite System GLONASS, to carry out works to improve their effectiveness, spokesman for the Roskosmos Federal Space Agency Konstantin Kreidenko told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.
"At present, Roskosmos and Space Troops specialists are conducting active work to build up the GLONASS group and increase its effectiveness," Kreidenko said. "It is to this end that the procedures on the two navigation satellites are being carried out," he added.
These units have been suspended and the GLONASS group currently numbers 17 satellites and two relay units. Earlier, Roskosmos Director Anatoly Perminov said a plan of accelerated deployment of GLONASS satellites by the year 2009 will be submitted to the government before April 1.
The GLONASS group is intended for relaying navigation data and precise time signals to military and civil consumers. According to the federal program, it must achieve the optimal functioning parameters by 2010 and have 24 spacecraft.
Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded in late December that the works to launch GLONASS satellites and adapt them for commercial purposes be expedited.
According to specialists, the Russian system should become the most competitive in terms of its parameters compared with its U.S. GPS and European Galileo analogues.
