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Russia delays launch of 3 Gonets communications satellites — source

The launch of three satellites for the Gonets low-orbit grouping is postponed until the yearend due to the rocket’s unpreparedness, a source says

© Andrei Morgunov/TASS, archive

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Russia completes its Gonets orbital group — company president

MOSCOW, June 6. /TASS/. The launch of three satellites for the Gonets low-orbit grouping by a Rokot carrier rocket from the Plesetsk spaceport has been postponed until the yearend due to the rocket’s unpreparedness, a source in the space industry told TASS on Monday.

"The launch is planned closer to the end of the year," the source said.

The launch was earlier scheduled for mid-2016 but was delayed over the carrier rocket’s unpreparedness, he added.

It was reported earlier that two grouped satellite launches - three satellites per launch - were planned for this orbital grouping in 2016.

Gonets is Russia’s sole satellite communications system. It allows, in particular, transmitting coordinates within the GLONASS satellite grouping from a mobile facility to remote monitoring and communications centers, irrespective of the subscriber’s location. The Gonets system is designed to provide personal communications and transmit various types of data.

The Gonets orbital constellation comprises 12 Gonets-M satellites and one Gonets-D1 spacecraft.

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