Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1I (IRNSS-1I) from Sriharikota during the early hours on Thursday.
The satellite is part of the Navic navigation satellite constellation is useful for giving alert messages to fishermen regarding bad weather, high waves or when they approach international maritime boundary line.
The workhorse, PSLV, injected the satellite into orbit 19 minutes after lift-off. ISRO Chairman K Sivan described the mission as a success and congratulated the scientists behind it.
The ranging payload of IRNSS-1I consists of a C-band transponder, which facilitates accurate determination of range of satellite.
Launched with PSLV-C41 rocket, IRNSS-1I will replace the IRNSS-1A which went out of order due to the failure of its onboard atomic clocks. ISRO’s earlier attempt to send a replacement failed. The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August last year failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.
Congratulations to our scientists on the successful launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1I by PSLV. This success will bring benefits of our space programme to the common man. Proud of team @isro!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2018
IRNSS-1I is the eighth navigation satellite to join the IRNSS space segment. Its predecessors, IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G were launched by PSLV-C22, PSLV-C24, PSLV-C26, PSLV-C27, PSLV-C31, PSLV-C32 and PSLV-C33 in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014, March 2015, January 2016, March 2016 and April 2016 respectively. Like all other IRNSS satellites, IRNSS-1I also has a lift-off mass of 1425 kg. The configuration of IRNSS-1I is similar to IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G.
Courtesy: NewsBharati
