Creation of the GLONASS high orbital segment will begin in 2021.

The creation of the high-orbit segment of the GLONASS system will start in 2021, from 2025 to 2027 six satellites will be put into the geostationary orbit. This is reported by TASS with reference to the general designer of the system Sergey Karutin.

"To meet the needs of consumers for quality services, in 2021using new code signals the creation of high-orbit GLONASS space complex will begin, with the launch of the first satellite in 2025", - Karutin said.

According to the agency, full deployment of the segment will be completed by the end of 2027. The segment will consist of six spacecraft in three planes. The Glonass-K satellite platform will be used as the basis for building a high-orbit space complex.

Aleksey Muravyov, Head of the Chief Designer Apparatus for GLONASS consumer navigation equipment, explained to the magazine "Vestnik GLONASS" that now many national navigation systems - Japanese, Indian, Chinese, American and European - have high-orbit segment. Thus the geostationary GLONASS satellites are what they have been waiting for a long time.

"Highly orbital systems allow to keep satellites in the area of zenith, which increase the accuracy of navigation in the conditions of development or in geographically difficult areas. Various differential corrections are also transmitted through them, i.e. the satellites work as transponders", the expert explained.

Muravyov noted that geostationary satellites will serve everything associated with high-precision navigation. With their help, it is possible to solve such issues as precision agriculture, construction, etc. This segment will provide high-precision corrections.

He also specified that the project on launching high-orbit GLONASS satellites was delayed due to coronavirus outbreak and Western sanctions against Russia.

Source: http://vestnik-glonass.ru