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GLONASS / navigation constellation

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Russiaoperational

GLONASS is a satellite navigation system operated by Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, tracing its origin to the Soviet Union. The system was formally declared operational in 1993 and reached its first fully operational 24-satellite constellation in 1995, though this later degraded to just 7 satellites by 2002 before recovery and modernization. The constellation flies in medium Earth orbit at approximately 19,130 km altitude across three orbital planes, each with eight satellites, inclined 64.8 degrees.

(source, as of 2026-07-13)

generations

GLONASSOriginal three-axis stabilized satellites flown 1982 to 2005, with a design lifespan of about 3 years and a mass of approximately 1,250 kg. (source, as of 2026-07-13)
GLONASS-MSecond-generation satellites flown 2003 to 2022, with a seven-year operational lifetime, a mass of about 1,480 kg, and 52 satellites produced. (source, as of 2026-07-13)
GLONASS-KSatellites flown from 2011, weighing about 750 kg with a 10-year design life, transmitting modernized CDMA signals. (source, as of 2026-07-13)
GLONASS-K2The latest variant, in testing since 2023, with improved clock stability and signal capabilities. (source, as of 2026-07-13)

faq

Who operates GLONASS?

GLONASS is operated by Roscosmos (Russian Federal Space Agency). (source, as of 2026-07-13)

When did GLONASS first launch?

GLONASS first launched on 1982-10-12. (source, as of 2026-07-13)