Isro conducts 4th orbit raising operation of IRNSS-1B successfully

In total Isro planned planned for 5 orbit manoeuvres to position the satellite in its Geosynchronous Circular Orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) today conducted the fourth orbit raising operation of IRNSS-1B successfully. In total Isro planned to conduct five orbit manoeuvres from the Master Control Facility to position the satellite in its Geosynchronous Circular Orbit at 55 deg East longitude.

Isro said that the fourth orbit raising operation of IRNSS-1B is successfully completed by firing Apogee Motor for 1270 seconds. The expected orbital parameters are: Perigee (the nearest point to earth) Altitude: 31664 km, Apogee (the farthest point to earth)) Altitude: 35931 km, Inclination: 30.7 deg

On April 4th, Isro successfully launched IRNSS-1B, carried by PSLV C24, from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the 25th consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The 'XL' configuration of PSLV was used for this mission, which was used five times to launch Chandrayaan-1, GSAT-12, RISAT-1, IRNSS-1A and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft.

After the successful injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1B were deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite.

IRNSS-1B is the second of the seven satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A, the first satellite of the constellation, was successfully launched by PSLV on July 2, 2013. IRNSS-1A is functioning satisfactorily from its designated geosynchronous orbital position.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users - and Restricted Services (RS), provided only to authorised users. . .

A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in as many as 15 locations across the country.

Two more satellites of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1C and IRNSS-1D, are planned to be launched in the second half of 2014. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015-16.