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COSMOS 2501 (702K)

Russian Navigation Satellite (GLONASS-K, First of Generation) · Russian Aerospace Forces

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Cosmos 2501 (GLONASS-K), launched February 2011, is the first satellite of GLONASS's next generation — smaller, lighter, and designed for a 10-year operational life, nearly 40% longer than GLONASS-M. GLONASS-K's most significant upgrade is its new CDMA signal, the same broadcasting method GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou all use, finally letting receiver manufacturers build simpler, cheaper multi-constellation chips capable of using all four global navigation systems through a single unified design rather than needing separate hardware for GLONASS's older frequency-division approach.

Its orbit

Orbit
Medium Earth Orbita high vantage point, ideal for navigation
Altitude
11,856–11,926 mi (19,081–19,193 km)
Inclination
63.6°
One orbit
11.3 hours2.1 orbits a day
NORAD ID
40315
Int’l designator
2014-075A
Launched
2014

Orbital elements from CelesTrak, as of 21 Sep 2026.

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