Glonass-M spacecraft will be launched from Plesetsk cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk Region) in late December, TASS reports with reference to a source close to the rocket-and-space industry.

“The decision to launch this spacecraft on December 29th was made,” the source explained. According to him, the spacecraft will be launched in the third plane in order to replace a satellite, which has broken down earlier.

Moreover, according to the source, three Glonass-M satellites will be launched (most probably, in the second plane) in February or later.

Earlier press-service of Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems reported that the satellite would be launched to replace the one, which worked at the orbit for 1,5 periods equal to its service life.

Glonass-M spacecraft No.51 will replace the spacecraft put into orbit in 2005; the satellite has been working for three more years after the end of its guaranteed life (the guaranteed life of Glonass-M satellite is 7 years),” said in the statement posted at the company’s website.

Decision to replace the satellite was made at a meeting chaired by the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Defense Forces, Alexander Golovko, the press-service noted. Electric testing of Glonass-M No.51 satellite should be completed by mid-November, after that it will be installed into a transportation container and delivered to the launch site.

According to the website of Federal Space Agency Information-Analytical Center, only one satellite has been put out of GLONASS system so far: spacecraft No.714 manufactured in 2005. It has been working in the orbit for 118 months. The satellite was put out of the system on October 17th.