PSLV C24's first orbit-raising manoeuvre a success

This is the first of five such firings

After successfully launching Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C24 on Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Saturday carried out its first orbit-raising manoeuvre successfully.

ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said the first orbit-raising manoeuvre was carried out successfully on Saturday evening.

According to Isro, there would be five such orbit manoeuvres, which will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in its geosynchronous circular orbit at 55 degrees east longitude.

Radhakrishnan said, “The launch was successful and it was injected very precisely. I thank the entire Isro team that made this major milestone for the country.” PSLV C24 injects Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) 1B into the intended orbit with remarkable precision, he said.

Radhakrishnan added two more IRNSS (1C and 1D) would be launched in 2014 for enabling accurate measurements on the ground using receivers. Three more satellites will be launched in the beginning of 2015 and by mid-2015, India would have seven constellations of seven satellites carrying out important services for the country. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III with a novel pay load will be launched in June 2014.

After injection on Friday, the solar panels of IRNSS-1B were deployed automatically. Isro’s master control facility (at Hasan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite. The PSLV carries a satellite of the IRNSS, weighing 1,432 kg. Terrestrial navigation is one of the primary applications of the indigenously developed IRNSS.

The Rs 1,300-crore IRNSS project, which would ultimately have seven satellites, is expected to be completed by 2015. The Friday’s launch is the second of the seven. The applications of IRNSS include terrestrial aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aid for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.