Russia successfully launches navigation satellite

A Soyuz-2.1B rocket carried a Glonass-M navigation satellite into orbit early Monday after a two-day delay caused by high winds, a Russian Space Forces spokesman said. "The launch of the booster rocket is as scheduled. The satellite Glonass-M was put into the orbit under control at 03:55 Moscow time (2355 GMT on Sunday)," said Colonel Alexei Zolotukhin. Zolotukhin told reporters that the rocket was launched at 0:15 Moscow time (2015 GMT, Sunday) from the Plesetsk Space Center in northern Russia. The Russian Space Forces said the launch was initially scheduled for Saturday but was postponed due to high winds. Glonass is the Russian equivalent of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), which is designed for both military and civilian use. The system requires 24 operational and 2-3 reserve satellites in orbit to ensure global coverage. In December 2010, a malfunction of the booster resulted in a loss of three Glonass satellites.