Russia launched a Proton-M carrier rocket on Thursday with three Glonass navigation satellites on board from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan.
The launch of the Proton-M carrier rocket with Glonass-M satellites on board was made on schedule at 13:43 Moscow time.
This is the second successful launch of the Glonass mission this year. The first launch of three Glonass satellites was carried out on September 25.
The Glonass system currently consists of 19 satellites, of which 16 are operational, two are undergoing maintenance, and one is due to be withdrawn. The system requires 18 satellites for continuous navigation services covering the entire territory of the Russian Federation, and 24 satellites to provide services worldwide.