Outside View: GLONASS plans -- Part 2

Outside View: GLONASS plans -- Part 2
http://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/Outside_View_GLONASS_plans_Part_2_999.html


Moscow (UPI) Jun 12, 2008

Russia's space industry is displaying the capacity to maintain and even increase
its current leading role in global satellite launches.
For the past three years -- 2005, 2006 and 2007 -- Russia has led the world in
its number of space launches. In 2007 it launched 26 rockets with satellite
payloads, comprising 398 percent[?????] of the global total.

Dismissing possible miscalculations and speaking only of hardware, the potential
for catching up with and overtaking Europe's Arianespace is there. Hopefully, it
will not be too long before Russia begins building several new launch vehicles
developed at the Khrunichev Center under its Angara program.

In Berlin, Alexander Kirillin, head of Samara's Progress Rocket Design Bureau,
said his company is expanding the range of famed Soyuz launch vehicles.

In addition to medium-class and Soyuz-2 rockets for increased payloads designed
to be launched from the international Kourou Space Center, there are plans to
build lightweight Soyuz-1 vehicles for placing payloads in lower orbits.

"These environmentally friendly, reliable and relatively low-cost vehicles will
be launched from existing facilities," Kirillin said. He thinks the low-orbit
launch market is among the fastest developing today and accounts for a 15
percent to 18 percent niche in the payload spectrum around the world.

So, should the Angara and Soyuz-1 programs be realized, Russia will have all
types of modern launch vehicles available in the rocket services market.

Turning from rockets to satellites, Russia's present craft are not GLONASS --
Global Navigation Satellite System -- satellites, which do not last longer than
five years. In fact, the short life span of the orbiting fleet is the main
obstacle to GLONASS's proper functioning for Russia's armed forces.

That situation is set to improve radically, judging by the displays shown by
ISS, a company making information satellite systems. In addition to the new
Global Navigation System GLONASS-M satellite, which is already in production and
has a service life of more than seven years, ISS showed a forward-looking
satellite model, mounted on the non-airtight Global Navigation System GLONASS-K
platform, with an estimated lifespan of more than 10 years.

ISS also displayed replicas of the latest Express-AM44 communications and direct
TV satellite and the Luch-5A repeater satellite. Both are being developed in
tandem with the European company Thales Alenia Space.

In April ISS and Alenia signed a memorandum to supply Russian-made parts for
European spacecraft. "While yesterday we bought a complete payload from our
European partner, and today partly produce and assemble it in Russia, tomorrow
we will supply individual satellite elements to the West," ISS Director General
Nikolai Testoyedov said.

(Andrei Kislyakov is a political commentator for RIA Novosti. This article is
reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article
are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside
contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views
expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the
interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)