MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. A contract for the serial production of the latest Glonass-K2 satellites for Russia’s global Glonass orbital navigation system will be signed in 2021, CEO of the Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Company (the satellites’ producer) Nikolai Testoyedov told TASS on Tuesday.

"As of today, we have a Glonass-M satellite in the ground reserve and we are manufacturing nine Glonass-K satellites, making Glonass-K2s and carrying out experimental design work on modifying Glonass-K2s. Next year, we will sign a contract for a series of Glonass-K2 satellites and we are starting work on the so-called Glonass-VKK (highly elliptical space system) under a new program that will be in effect in 2020-2030," Testoyedov said.

Therefore, the Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Company is simultaneously working on six modifications of satellites for the Glonass system, he said.

"This is a guarantee that the orbital grouping will always have no less than 24 satellites with the most advanced functions," he said.

In the coming years, Russia will launch Glonass-K2 versions fully made of domestic electronic components, Testoyedov said.

As the Reshetnev chief explained, in 2014 when sanctions were imposed on Russia, Glonass satellites were half-made of imported electronic components on average (85% of them were produced in the US). The Reshetnev Company also purchased a reserve stock of electronics at the time, he said.

"We are taking measures to ensure that the share of imported electronic components falls from 50% as was the case in 2014 to 12% by 2025 (these are either available or purchased components) and from 2026 Glonass-K2 satellites will fly with the 100% Russian components base," Testoyedov said.

Components similar in operation will be produced to make up for the elements that cannot be reproduced by the Russian industry, he said.