India early on Thursday April 12,2018 put into orbit navigation satellite IRNSS-1I, a part of Indian satellite navigation system NavIC in copy-book style.
The 1,425 kg satellite was carried into space by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket's 'XL' variant.
Simply put, NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation, earlier the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS) is the Indian 'GPS'.
After the successful launch, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K. Sivan said:"I am extremely happy to announce that the PSLV has precisely injected the navigation satellite in the targetted orbit."
The Rs 1,420 crore Indian satellite navigation system NavIC consists of nine satellites -- seven in orbit and two as substitutes. The fully operational system is expected to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km
The 1,425 kg IRNSS-1I was the second satellite sent up as the replacement for IRNSS-1A and the ninth of the IRNSS satellite series. Each satellite has three rubidium atomic clocks and a total of 27 clocks for the navigation satellite system (including the standby satellites) were supplied by the same vendor. Like its other IRNSS predecessors, IRNSS-1I also carries two types of payloads for navigation and ranging. The navigation payload, operating in L5-band and S-band, will transmit navigation service signals to the users, while the ranging payload consists of a C-band transponder, which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. IRNSS-1I also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging.
NavIC provides two types of services -- standard positioning service and restricted service. The former is for all users while the latter is an encrypted service for only authorised users. According to ISRO, NavIC is useful for fishermen to reach potential fishing areas. The fishermen can also get alert messages relating to bad weather, high waves or when they approach the international maritime boundary line. These services are provided through a software application on a smartphone.
10 facts about IRNSS-1I launch
1. This is the second attempt by ISRO to send a replacement satellite as on August 2017 the launch of IRNSS-1H failed.
2. NavIC’s first satellite, IRNSS-1A, was launched in July 2013. Three years into what was expected to be a ten-year mission, one of the three atomic clocks aboard the satellite failed. The spacecraft’s other two clocks failed over the next six months, leaving it unable to broadcast navigation data.
3. ISRO’s four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) delivered IRNSS-1I to orbit. The PSLV, which flew in its most powerful PSLV-XL configuration, uses a mixture of solid and liquid propellants
4. This system was commissioned in 2006. One of its main aims is to help the military in hostile situations as foreign countries may not help with their navigation systems in such times. The purpose of these IRNSS satellites is to create India's own navigation system which would be in the lines of US' GPS or Global Positioning System.
5. On the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) being critical of NavIC still not being fully operational, after more than 10 years of its launch, the ISRO head said with the launch of IRNSS-1I, the system was now put in place and the applications would have to be rolled out.
6. Serving both military and civilian needs, NavIC relies on seven satellites broadcasting highly-accurate timing signals that a receiver can use to triangulate its location.
7. The IRNSS satellites are capable of tracking navigation up to 1,500 km from the Indian mainland. This means it covers large tracts of Pakistan too.
8. Three of NavIC’s satellites are positioned in equatorial geostationary orbits, while the remaining four satellites are in geosynchronous orbits inclined by about 28 degrees to the equator.
9. The NavIC constellation is really going to create history and make innovative applications to the entire community in the ocean-based services especially for the underserved and unserved, Sivan said.
10. Built for a ten-year job in space, IRNSS-1I is expected to be ready for work in about a month after routine orbit manoeuvres and tests.
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