Cosmos 2424, 2425 and 2426 are navigational satellites in the Russian Glonass fleet that were launched by a Proton-K rocket from Baikonur at 20:18 UT on 25 December 2006. Until this launch, the fleet consisted of 11 operational craft, plus five that were often switched off. The full operational fleet of 24 craft was expected to be completed by 2009 with Cosmos-K models, developed with participation of the Indian Space Agency, ISRO. Though an 18-craft fleet is sufficient for operation in Russia, a fleet of 24 is needed for global coverage.
Alternate Names
Glonass 715
Glonass 716
Glonass 717
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 2006-12-25
Launch Vehicle: Proton-K
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan