Isro to launch fourth navigational satellite on 9 March

New Delhi: India will be launching its fourth navigational satellite as part of the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) on 9 March, which will be followed by a series of launches in what will be a busy year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

The satellite IRNSS-1D will be launched onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C27), the workhorse rocket of the Indian space agency, at 6.35pm from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India consisting of a constellation seven satellites. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. . The IRNSS System is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 metres in the primary service area.

Three satellites are to be placed in suitable orbital slots in the geostationary orbit, a circular orbit 35,786km above the equator and the remaining four will be placed in geosynchronous orbits which are elliptical orbits designed to keep communication satellites within the view of ground stations.

The system will provide two types of services including Standard Positioning Service (SPS) which is provided to all the users and Restricted Service (RS), which is an encrypted service provided only to the authorized users. Some of the applications provided by the IRNSS would be 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 travelers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.

“With the launch of the fourth satellite, we will be able to start getting accurate positioning information on the ground and they will start evaluating the proof of concept of the navigation project involving the ground support system,” said the Isro spokesperson. “The final details of the launch countdown are still being looked at by senior officials,” he added.

After the launch of a navigational satellite, its solar panels are deployed automatically, and Isro’s master control facility at Hassan, Karnataka, takes control of the satellite.

The fifth IRNSS satellite is expected to be launched by September. The navigational system aims to reduce India’s dependence on foreign systems such as the US global positioning system and the Russian global navigation satellite system.

The IRNSS launch will be followed by a commercial satellite launch aboard the PSLV and the GSAT-6 satellite launch aboard the GSLV-D6 with an indigenous cryogenic engine. Before the end of the year, the space agency will launch India’s first dedicated astronomical satellite, ASTROSAT.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.