Russia launches satellites

Russia successfully launched three satellites to enhance its space navigation system today.

The space agency said three Glonass-M satellites were put into orbit by a Proton-M rocket that blasted off from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan.

The agency said the satellites launched today would join Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System, or Glonass.

Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the US Global Positioning System, or GPS.

The system had 17 satellites before today’s launch. It is supposed to have 24 satellites to be available worldwide.

The government had promised to make Glonass fully operational by the beginning of this year, but it was delayed by equipment flaws and other technical problems.