Indian
Space agency ISRO‘s sixth navigation satellite IRNSS-1F is all set to be launched on
board trusted workhorse PSLV C32 today at 4 pm (IST). The 54 and half hour
countdown began yesterday soon after the Mission Readiness Review Committee and
Launch Authorisation Board cleared it and currently, it was “progressing
normal”, ISRO officials said. PSLV-C32 on its 34th mission would launch
the IRNSS-1F, aimed at providing navigation accurately on par with the US-based
GPS, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at the spaceport of Sriharikota about
110 km from.
ISRO to
provide independent regional navigation satellite system on par with GPS, had
launched five navigation satellites under the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (IRNSS). While four satellites would be sufficient to start
operations of the IRNSS system, the remaining three would make it more “accurate
and efficient”, an ISRO official said.
While
four satellites would be sufficient to start operations of the IRNSS system,
the remaining three would make it more "accurate and efficient", an
ISRO official said. "With the launch of four satellites, we were able to
provide navigation for 18 hours. But after fifth launch we increased the
capacity to 24 hours with an accuracy of 20 metres. The sixth IRNSS-1F and
seventh launch (IRNSS-1G) will be accurate and more efficient," an ISRO
official told PTI.
The five
satellites already launched are IRNSS-1A on July 1, 2013, IRNSS-1B on April 4,
2014, IRNSS-1C on October 16, 2014, IRNSS-1D on March 28, 2015 and IRNSS-1E on
January 20, 2016. ISRO scientists plan to put all seven navigation satellites
into orbit by March 2016. The last in the series is expected to be launched by
month end.
For the
IRNSS-1F launch, scientists have used the "XL" variant used in
previous launches of IRNSS satellites, given its capacity to carry load. Similar
occasions where rocket with XL configuration were used were during launch of
Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, ASTROSAT besides the five IRNSS
satellites. Along with the navigation payload and ranging payload, the
satellite also carries a "highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock" with
it. The payload will transmit navigation service signals to the users. The 44.4
metre tall IRNSS-1F has a liftoff mass of 1,425 kg and would be launched in
sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub GTO). It has a 12 years mission life.
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