The international launch schedule is now forecast through October 2011.
There are no GPS satellites posted on the list. With 32 up there and working there seems no rush to replace the oldest satellites. If one were in fact to fail there is the probability that they could turn another antique back on. PRN 1, the L5 test satellite that messed up it's L1/L2 signal is still being played with.
3 GLONASS satellites are scheduled for November launch on a single Proton rocket and a Soyuz rocket will launch a single GLONASS K satellite. This newest GLONASS will be lighter, with an additional signal and expected to last longer. I would not expect single launches to be the norm, the Soyuz is capable of launching 2 GLONASS Ks at a time and the Proton can launch 6. There just are not that many slots to currently fill. The GLONASS K will broadcast an L1 signal that is more comaptible with the GPS signal, an L3 signal and an L5 signal that is similar to the new GPS L5 signal. Galileo and Compass (China) will also broadcast L1/L5.
Sometime in mid 2011 2 Galileos will be launched.
Paul in PA
