Glonass-K navigation satellite put into orbit - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax) - A Fregat upper stage has placed a Glonass-K navigation satellite into orbit, the Russian Defense Ministry told journalists on Thursday.

"A Fregat upper stage has successfully put the Russian navigation spacecraft Glonass-K into orbit," the ministry said.

The Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle coupled with the Fregat upper stage placed the satellite into orbit at the planned time, the ministry said. "The launch of the Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicle and the placement of the Glonass-K spacecraft into orbit by the Fregat upper stage went smoothly," it said.

The Soyuz-2.1b lifted off from the Plesetsk space center at 12:18 p.m. Moscow time on Thursday.

The ministry said earlier that the Russian Aerospace Forces took over the satellite's control after it reached its orbit.

"The Russian navigation spacecraft Glonass-K, launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome by a Space Forces crew of the Russian Aerospace Forces on Thursday, July 7, was placed into its final orbit at the planned time and has been taken under control by the ground assets of the Titov Main Space Test Center of the Aerospace Forces," it said.