India’s navigational satellite system is almost ready

Thiruvananthapuram: Indian Space Research Organisation today put the seventh and last satellite (IRNSS-1G) of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System into orbit on Thursday.

With the positioning of the satellite shortly, India’s regional navigation system will come into operation. The system involves three satellites in the Geostationary Earth Orbit   and four satellites in the geosynchronous orbit.

The system is expected to provide position accuracy of better than 20 metres over Indian region and an area extending about 1500 sq km around India. It would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services - provided to all users, and Restricted Services, provided to authorized users.

The last of the satellites for the system weighing 1425 kg was put into orbit by the ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. This was its thirty fifth launch of PSLV.

The lift-off took place at 12.50 pm on Thursday. After a flight of 19 minutes 42 seconds, IRNSS-1G was injected into an elliptical orbit of 283 km X 20718 km, following which the satellite successfully separated from the launcher.

After separation, the solar panels of IRNSS-1G were deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan, Karnataka, took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from MCF to position the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit.

The first six satellites of the constellation were successfully launched by PSLV during the past three years. All of them are functioning satisfactorily from their designated orbital positions.

A number of ground facilities responsible for satellite ranging and monitoring, generation and transmission of navigation parameters have been established in eighteen locations across the country.  Today’s successful launch of IRNSS-1G signifies the completion of the IRNSS constellation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, heartily thanked and congratulated all the ISRO scientists and team ISRO for completing IRNSS constellation and dedicated IRNSS to the nation as ‘NavIC’ (Navigation Indian Constellation).  He appreciated India’s space community for making the country proud through such achievements which have helped in improving the life of common man.