[10-26-07 – Satellite Today] Three Russian Glonass satellites were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, aboard a Proton launch vehicle, the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center announced Oct. 26.

This is the first Proton launch since a damaged pyro firing cable caused the failure of a Proton vehicle carrying the JCSAT-11 satellite in September.

Glonass is a dual-purpose global navigation system designed to serve the Russian Ministry of Defense and civil users. The system is intended to provide continued navigation coverage allowing unlimited number of domestic and foreign users at sea, in the air and on land to determine precise coordinates, velocity and time.