The latest, most state-of-the-art radio satellite navigation system developed by Russia.

GLONASS-K marks the third generation of GLONASS navigation satellites and represents a substantial improvement over the previous GLONASS-M series, including longer life and better accuracy.

The upgraded series of satellites was to replace the GLONASS-M series in 2015; however, geopolitical sanctions stemming from Russia's invasion and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 resulted in Russia being unable to obtain the radiation-resistant electronics needed for the satellites from western-nation suppliers.

This forced Russia to revise its plans and split the GLONASS-K program in two in 2015. The K1 satellites have launched twice and 13 have been built; the K2 series has yet to launch.

Under this revised plan in 2015, the GLONASS-K2 satellites were expected to begin flying in 2018. Currently, the first GLONASS-K2 launch is slated to occur no earlier than 2021.

The GLONASS-V series of satellites will be a modified version of the-K series.

Meet Roscosmos’s 21st-century upgrade of the Soyuz rocket: the Soyuz 2.1b.

One of the most significant advancements in this variant is the completely digital flight control system, a major technological leap for a rocket family originally designed in the 1960s.

Specs

Height: 46.3 m (152 ft)

Diameter: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Mass: 312,000 kg (688,000 lb)

Stages: 2 or 3

The digital flight control system enhances launch precision and target accuracy, making the Soyuz 2.1b more reliable for a wide range of missions.

Additionally, this variant features an upgraded Blok-I second-stage engine, the RD-0124, which provides improved performance and efficiency over earlier models.

The Soyuz 2.1b was the second of three Soyuz 2 variants to enter service, making its debut launch on December 27, 2006.

Two Names, Two Flags

This rocket flies under two different names, depending on the launch operator:

- Soyuz 2.1b: When launching under Roscosmos from Baikonur or Plesetsk.

- Soyuz ST-B: When sold to Arianespace for European launches. This version includes European modifications, such as a European payload adapter and a European flight termination system.

Image: ESA

The Plesetsk Cosmodrome is located 800 km north of Moscow, Russian Federation.

The site was founded in 1957 to support Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ICBM launches of the R7 missile - from which the Soyuz rockets today are derived.

Plesetsk was not as busy as Baikonur in terms of satellite launches from its founding in 1957 to 2000 due to its location and ability to only launch crafts to Molniya and polar orbits.

With the fall of the Soviet Union and the Baikonur Cosmodrome becoming foreign territory for Russia, Plesetsk has been far more active since the 2000s.

It is primarily used for military and commercial launches to high inclination and polar orbits.

It has been the site of three fatal ground accidents that have killed 58 people.

In 1973, a Cosmos-3M rocket exploded on the launch pad killing 9; in 1980, a Vostok-2M rocket exploded during fueling, killing 48; in 2002, a Soyuz-U rocket exploded killing 1 person.