Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (ISJ): India’s warhorse launch vehicle PSLV on Friday (April 05) lifted off from the south-eastern spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh carrying the country’s second navigational satellite IRNSS-1B. IRNSS-1B is India’s answer to GPS used by the United States and the Russian GLONASS.
IRNSS-1B, the second in a series of seven navigational satellites planned by India, will strengthen the country?s independent navigational system and provide accurate position information service to domestic users and users in the region extending upto 1500 kms from its boundary.
With this India joined the select six-country club with own navigational satellites ? the USA, Russia, Europe, China and Japan.
Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO Dr. S. Radhakrishnan said the mission achieved its targeted navigational parameters with a perigee (nearest point to Earth) of 283 kms (less by just one km) and an apogee (farthest point from the Earth) of 20,630 kms (less by just 20 kms from the targeted 20,650 kms) with an inclination of 19.26 to equatorial plane.
IRNSS-1B is the 26th mission of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, with the successful missions Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Mission, GSAT-12 under its belt.
“During the year 2014, we would be launching two more IRNSS satellites, the IRNSS-1C and IRNSS-1D,” said Dr. Radhakrishnan, addressing the launch team. “By the middle of 2015, India would have its full seven satellite constellations in the orbit carrying out very important services for the country.”
IRNSS satellites will help in the areas of terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture, terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.
It comprises of a space segment and a ground segment ? seven satellites, three in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit, in the space segment. The ground segment handles navigation parameter generation and transmission, satellite control, ranging and integrity monitoring and time keeping.
The spacecraft, with a lift-off mass of 1432 kgs and a mission life of 10 years, is being powered by two solar panels and a Lithium-ion battery and the propulsion system consists of a Liquid Apogee Motor and thrusters.
