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The next GLONASS-M satellite will be launched on Dec. 29, according to Russian news agency TASS.
GLONASS-M 51 will replace a satellite put into orbit in 2005, which has exceeded its design life by three years. The lifetime of a GLONASS-M is approximately seven years.
In addition, not earlier than February, a trio of GLONASS-M satellites is expected to be launched.
GLONASS-M 51 is now undergoing electrical tests, scheduled until mid-November. Then it will be placed in an installation shipping container and sent to the launchpad at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
