ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow Region, August 18 (Itar-Tass) —— The first navigation satellite of the Glonass-K type, which was launched from Plesetsk on February 28, has been successfully undergoing flight and design tests, head of the Russian Space System, General Designer of the GLONASS system Yuri Urlichich told journalists on Thursday.
“This satellite was for the first time equipped with an absolutely new unit of the space search and rescue system KOSPAS-SARSAT – – the most humane system in space. Thanks to this system, more than 30,000 people have been rescued since 1982,” Urlichich recalled. This equipment was for the first time installed on board a satellite with a medium orbit altitude, this equipment is working as designed.”
According to Urlichich, “the flight and design tests of this satellite will end according to the decision of its main designer – – the enterprise Information Satellite Systems.”
Speaking about the KOSPAS-SARSAT unit installed on board the navigation satellite, Urlichich said that it “is made for medium orbital segment satellites.” According to French experts’ conclusion, as he said, “this unit is three-five times more accurate than foreign analogues.”