BackIndia launches IRNSS-1D; set to operationalize navigational system
The IRNSS-1D is the fourth in the series of seven navigational satellites, onboard the PSLV-C27
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Sriharikota: In a step towards further boosting navigational services in the country and the surrounding areas, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Saturday successfully launched the fourth satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System—IRNSS-1D—from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Isro scientists on the launch of the satellite. “Launch of satellite IRNSS-1D is yet another manifestation of the exemplary efforts and utmost brilliance of our scientists. Congrats to them," said Modi in a statement.
The satellite that was injected into an orbit of 282.52km x 20,644km was launched aboard Isro’s workhorse rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C27) 5.19pm. The satellite will join the three other satellites which have already been placed in their respective orbits, and three more will be launched in the course of the year.
A beaming Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, for whom this is the first project after taking charge of the space agency, said the mission was successful and the satellite has been placed in precise orbit. “I congratulate the entire Isro team for the 28th straight successful PSLV mission which has put the IRNSS-1D, the fourth of the navigation constellation satellite successfully," Kumar said.
He said the PSLV had demonstrated that it had come of age and despite the hiccup in the originally planned launch schedule, which had to be postponed from March 9 due to a problem in one of the sub-systems, “We have had a successful launch today."
With this launch, the country is poised to operationalize IRNSS, having put into orbit four of the seven satellites. “This mission has got significance because we are completing the minimum essential requirement of four satellites in the orbit to start the navigation process," project director P. Kunhikrishnan said.
IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India, aiming to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign navigational systems such as GPS and GLONASS. The system will be able to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1,500km from its boundary.
The fourth IRNSS satellite launch is particularly important because this completes the minimum essential requirements to start a navigation system. IRNSS will help augment the satellite based navigation system of India which is currently under development and will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services, according to Isro. The navigational system will provide two types of services: standard positioning service, which will be provided to all users; and restricted service, an encrypted service provided to authorised users.
Once all the satellites are in their intended orbits and are operational, it can be used for terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation and disaster management, and used for mobile applications. To carry out these functions, the navigational satellites have two kinds of payloads, the navigational payloads and the ranging payloads.
Ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control and satellite ranging and monitoring are placed in 15 locations across the country.
PTI contributed to this story.
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