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The rocket blasted off the second launch pad at Sriharikotta space port, around 80 kms from Chennai, at 1729 hours as planned. The expected mission life is ten years. The launch was earlier scheduled for March 9, 2015, but was postponed to March 28, due to technical reasons. Like in the previous three launches of IRNSS satellites, PSLV-C27 used ‘XL’ version of PSLV. This is the eighth time ‘XL’ configuration is being flown. The satellite has been realised in less than four months after the launch of its predecessor.
So far, three regional navigational satellites were placed in orbit as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km. The entire constellation is planned to be completed this year.
An Isro source said position information on land, air and sea will be available and it will help in a wide variety of fields, including defence, farming, transport, tourism and more.
Two more navigation satellites are expected to be launched this year, and the seventh and the last one of the system is expected to be launched in early 2016. Three satellites launched earlier have all been integrated with the ground stations and are working well. The first satellite IRNSS-1A was launched in July 2013, the second IRNSS-1B in April 2014 and the third on October 16, 2014.
Once all the seven starts operational, India can replace the US GPS with Indian system and India need not to depend on other platforms.
The full system comprises nine satellites, including seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by — the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites.
As reported earlier, each satellite costs around Rs 150 crore and the PSLV-XL version rocket costs around Rs 130 crore. The seven rockets would involve an outlay of around Rs 910 crore.
IRNSS-1D has been launched into a sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub GTO) with a 284-km perigee (nearest point to Earth) and 20,650-km apogee (farthest point of Earth) with an inclination of 19.2 deg with respect to the equatorial plane.
After injection into this preliminary orbit, the two solar panels of IRNSS-1D are automatically deployed in quick succession and the Master Control Facility at Hassan, Karnataka, takes control of the satellite and performs the initial orbit raising manoeuvres.
