Minutes later, Zolotukhin informed that the satellite had been successfully put into orbit and all of its functions were in the normal range.
This was the sixth Soyuz-2.1b rocket launch carried out by Russia in 2014.
On December 1, the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket put into orbit the new-generation Russian navigation satellite Glonass-K.
The satellite was also launched from the Plesetsk space center, which has been the site of Russia`s GLONASS satellite launches since February 26, 2011, when the first new-generation GLONASS-K spacecraft was put into orbit by the Soyuz 2.1 medium-class carrier rocket.
GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), which was launched in 1993, is considered to be Russia`s answer to the American Global Positioning System (GPS).
There are currently 24 operational GLONASS satellites in orbit. The network provides real-time positioning and speed data for surface, sea and airborne objects around the globe.
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