Indian premier space agency Indian Space Research Organisation(Isro) is all set to launch country’s first navigational satellite (IRNSS-1) in June.
The launch is expected to boost India’s space capabilities in real time navigation. According to Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan, IRNSS, Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System would provide real time navigation, position and time.
Addressing the media in Bangalore on Saturday after an event to mark 25th anniversary of the launch of India’s first operational Remote Sensing Satellite IRS-1A, Radhakrishnan said, “It is designed to provide an accurate real time Position, Navigation and Time (PNT) services to users on a variety of platforms with 24x7 service availability under all weather conditions”.
According to Isro the first Satellite of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation, IRNSS-1 will be launched by PSlV-C22. IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system, designed to provide position accuracy of better than 10 metres over India and the region extending about 1,500 km around the country. IRNSS provides two basic services, standard positioning service for common civilian users and restricted service for special authorised users.
According to the Isro chairman Radhakrishnan , IRNSS-1 would be tested in orbit for three-four months once launched.“Isro has planned to have a constellation of seven satellites under IRNSS,” he added.
Earlier addressing the symposium, the ISRO chairman said, “India has planned 12 missions (both launch vehicles and satellites put together) in the next one year. These include the Rs 450-crore Mars orbiter mission in October-November aimed at demonstrating India’s technological capability to reach Martian orbit and paving the way for future scientific exploratory missions, and GSlV-Mk III experimental venture”.
Radhakrishnan also said GSlV-Mk III is conceived and designed to make Isro fully self-reliant in launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4,500 kg to 5,000 kg.
Former Isro Chairmen U R Rao and K Kasturirangan spoke about the origin, growth and emergence of India as a world leader in the realm of satellite-based remote sensing in the past 25 years, at the two-day symposium, organised by Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS) in partnership with other space professional societies. India has 11 functioning remote sensing satellites serving the nation.