India successfully launched IRNSS 1C on board ISRO's PSLV C26 rocket from the spaceport here at 1.32 am today, moving a step closer to setting up the country's own navigation system on par with Global Positioning System (GPS) of the US.
IRNSS 1C is the third of the series of seven satellites ISRO is planing to launch to put in place what is called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
Lifting off from the First Launch Pad here exactly at 1.32 am the rocket painted a golden brush of flames in the night sky and was a visual delight for onlookers.
Twenty minutes after the launch, the launch vehicle successfully placed the 1,425.4 kg weighing satellite on the intended orbit.
ISRO has aimed to launch the satellite into a sub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub GTO) with a 284 km perigee (nearest point to Earth) and 20,650 km apogee (farthest point to Earth) with an inclination of 17.86 degree with respect to the equatorial plane.
This was the seventh time ISRO was using an XL version of the PSLV rocket for its missions. The mission life of the 1,425,4 kg is 10 years.
Our Heartiest Congratulations are due to all the Scientists, Technocrats and the entire Team ISRO for this wonderful achievements.
India's own GPS: ISRO to launch IRNSS-1C today on
16 October: 01.32 hrs
Series of IRNSS will put India's own navigation system on par with
US' GPS
Like the US' GPS (Global Positioning System) that gives the exact location of moving aircraft, ships, vehicles and even people carrying smart phones, our country will soon have its own satellite-based navigation system.
India's equivalent of the GPS will be called the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System or IRNSS, a cluster of seven satellites being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) - IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1C, IRNSS-1D, IRNSS-1E, IRNSS-1F and IRNSS-1G.
Three satellites will be placed in the geo-stationary orbit and the rest in geosynchronous orbits. The satellites will continuously calculate and relay position information to aircraft in the Indian air space, ships sailing in the Indian Ocean, motorists all over the country and mobile handsets, among others. The satellites will provide position accuracy to within 10m to 20m.
The system is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of better than 10m throughout the Indian landmass and better than 20m in the Indian Ocean.
So if you are travelling on the road and want to locate an address, a receiver in your car tuned into IRNSS will tell you the exact position of the address to within 10m of the building. It will give both visual and voice navigation instructions.
India has launched over 70 satellites over the years for applications like mobile communications, direct-to-home services, meteorological observations, telemedicine, tele-education, disaster warning, radio networking, search and rescue operations, remote sensing, urban development, mineral prospecting, drought and flood forecasting and space studies.
Aryabhata was the first indigenously built Indian satellite, which was launched on April 19, 1975.