GLONASS-M

GLONASS-M
Bin im Garten · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	GLONASS-M
Mission type	Navigation
Operator	Russian Aerospace Defence Forces / Russian Space Forces
COSPAR ID	varied
SATCAT	varied
Spacecraft type	Uragan-M
Manufacturer	Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems
Launch mass	~1415 kg
Dry mass	~250 kg
Power	1700 W
Dimensions	1.3 × 2.5 m (bus)
Launch vehicle	Soyuz-2 / Proton-M / Soyuz-U (historical)
Launch site	Plesetsk Cosmodrome / Baikonur Cosmodrome
Orbit	Medium Earth orbit
Orbital altitude	~19,100 km
Orbit inclination	64.8°
Mission duration	design life 7 years (extended in practice)

GLONASS-M GLONASS-M is a second-generation satellite in the GLONASS constellation, designed as an improved version of earlier Uragan satellites to provide global radionavigation service. It supports the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System alongside ground segments operated by Russian Space Forces and civil interfaces used by agencies such as Roscosmos and businesses including Russian Railways. Introduced to enhance signal stability and lifetime, the platform served as a backbone for modernization and international interoperability efforts with systems like Galileo, Navstar, and BeiDou.

Overview

GLONASS-M satellites were developed to replace first-generation Uragan units, offering extended operational life and additional civil signal channels for compatibility with international systems. The program tied into policy decisions involving Ministry of Defence (Russia), coordination with Russian Academy of Sciences, and procurement overseen by companies such as Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems. Deployment supported strategic objectives traced to directives from bodies including the Government of the Russian Federation and operational commands within the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces.

Design and Specifications

The spacecraft bus, known as Uragan-M, features a modular structure produced by Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems at the Zheleznogorsk facility. The satellite mass, power budget, and thermal control were engineered to meet requirements set by the Central Research Institute of Machine Building. Communications payload implements coherent L-band transmitters compatible with signal formats used by International Maritime Organization-recommended receivers and civilian navigation terminals supplied by companies like JSC Radiopribor. Attitude determination and control subsystems incorporate star trackers and gyroscopes from suppliers with links to institutes such as Keldysh Research Center.

Development and Production

Development traces to contracts awarded in the 1990s and 2000s amid restructuring of Russian space industry entities including Energia and Roscosmos State Corporation. Manufacturing involved facilities in Krasnoyarsk Krai and partnerships with electronics firms formerly part of Soviet Union defense production lines. Program milestones were subject to budgetary oversight by the Ministry of Defence (Russia) and parliamentary committees within the State Duma, with testing conducted at ranges coordinated with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Launch History and Deployment

Launches of GLONASS-M units employed vehicles such as Proton-M from Baikonur Cosmodrome and Soyuz-2 variants from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, integrating with payload processing in complexes shared with missions by Roscosmos and commercial customers. Constellation replenishment followed phasing strategies informed by orbital mechanics models developed at institutions like Space Research Institute (IKI). International observers and agencies including European Space Agency tracked orbital insertion and constellation status through space situational awareness networks.

Operational Capabilities and Signals

GLONASS-M transmits navigation signals in L1 and L2 bands, providing civil and military services interoperable with receivers manufactured by firms such as Trimble, Garmin, and Topcon. Signal design supports dual-frequency correction for ionospheric delay and timekeeping tied to onboard atomic clocks sourced from specialist producers associated with Russian Academy of Sciences laboratories. Performance metrics, including position, velocity, and timing accuracy, were reported in operational briefs by Russian Space Forces and assessed by international organizations like International GNSS Service.

Upgrades and Variants

The Uragan-M family includes incremental improvements and served as a bridge to later platforms developed in programs linked to Glonass-K and follow-on initiatives coordinated by Roscosmos. Variants addressed payload refinements, clock redundancy, and extended-life components influenced by design studies from institutes such as Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design. Industrial modernization and export considerations engaged enterprises like Rostec.

Incidents and Anomalies

Individual GLONASS-M launches and on-orbit operations experienced anomalies investigated by commissions involving the Interdepartmental Commission on Space Flight Safety and industrial stakeholders such as Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems. Notable events prompted reviews by parliamentary oversight committees in the Federation Council and operational adjustments at control centers operated by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. International tracking networks including United States Space Surveillance Network reported fragmentation and orbit perturbations linked to aging assets and launch vehicle failures, informing mitigation practices adopted by operators.

Category:GLONASS Category:Satellites of Russia