India took one more crucial step on early Thursday morning in its efforts to set up an independent regional navigation satellite system which will provide its citizens with standard position information services. A Polar Satellite launch Vehicle (PSlV-C 26) which lifted off from the Satish Dhavan Space Centre at Sriharikotta, 85 km north of Chennai at 01.32 am injected the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) series into a pre-determined elliptical orbit. The satellite named IRNSS-1C will move in an orbit 282 km close to the Earth and 20,670 km away from the Earth.
The entire process went on as per the script prepared by the engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Each stage of the rocket carrying the 1,425 kg satellite burnt according to schedule and the IRNSS-1C was injected into the orbit 20 minutes after the lift off of the launch vehicle.
After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1C were deployed automatically. ISRO’s Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvre will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit at 83 degree East longitude.
K Radharishnan, chairman, ISRO, said this was the 27th consecutively successful mission of the PSlV, a vessel with impeccable track record.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System is India’s answer to the US Government owned Global Positioning System (GPS), the Russian owned Glonass and the Europen Union owned Galileo, satellite based navigational systems helping people to identify their location from anywhere in the world with the help of receivers, mobile phone or other hand held devices. The system also helps pilots all over the world to navigate their aircraft.
While the US and Russian systems cover the entire world, the IRNSS which consists of seven Earth observation satellites is designed to provide position in the Indian region and 1,500 km around the Indian mainland, according to Devi Prasad Karnik, the ISRO spokesman.IRNSS-1C would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) — provided to all users — and Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users.
According to ISRO Press release, a number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in as many as 15 locations across the country.But India has to launch four more satellites to make the IRNSS fully operational. The system consist of seven satellites, three of which are in place with Thursday’s launch of the IRNSS-1C. Two satellites of the system (IRNSS-1A and 1B) were launched in July 2013 and April 2014.
BR Guruprasad, public relations officer, ISRO said the IRNSS-1D, is scheduled to be launched by PSlV. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015. Till then the other satellites will be observing the sub continent from their pre determined positions.