The original plan was to begin launching new satellites in 2014.

"Even China was launching satellites, while we sat on our hands."

Under his guidance, China launched its first satellite in 1970.

The companies promoting the systems hope to launch satellites by the end of 1994.

It expects to launch its first satellite in late 1998.

Russia's space industry has won a contract to launch its first western satellite.

Both plan to launch powerful satellites within a couple of years, and their systems are expected to be operating in 2001.

A commercial program for launching foreign satellites is largely successful.

To do so, it had to launch satellites into orbit, at huge cost.

The Russian space agency plans to launch eight satellites that would nearly complete the country's own system.