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Nearing dusk on Friday, ISRO’sPolar Satellite Vehicle-C24 carrying indigenous navigational systems roared into the clear sky off the shores of the Bay of Bengal from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
The event was historic for the space research organisation, being the 25th successful launch of a PSLV, ISRO’s trusty workhorse.
Perfect orbit The 44.4-metre rocket, weighing around 320 tonnes, roared into the blue from behind the trees rapidly gaining pace and leaving behind the trademark orange flame. The rocket carried the 1,432-kg Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) 1B.
Scientists at the mission control room were glued to their computer screens watching the rocket escape the earth’s gravitational pull.
After about 19 minutes of flight, the PSLV-C24 put the satellite into a perfect orbit, to a huge round of applause by the scientist community at the Mission Control Centre and the large section of newspersons gathered at the terrace of the media centre.
IRNSS-1B is the second of seven satellites that comprise the first-generation IRNSS.
The navigational system will provide accurate position information to users within the country and up to 1,500 km from the nation’s boundaries. It is similar to the global positioning system of the US, Glonass of Russia, Galileo of Europe, China’ Beidou and the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System.
There will be multiple uses of the system, including for terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management. It can also be integrated with mobile phones and mapping.
‘Major milestone’ K Radhakrishnan, Chairman, ISRO, said the satellite was placed in orbit precisely and that it was a major milestone for the country. The satellite, with a life-span of around 10 years, is the second of the seven satellites constituting the navigational system. The first one, IRNSS-1A, was launched in July 2013.
Speaking at the the mission control room, Radhakrishnan said two more IRNSS will be launched this year, and three more by early 2015.
By June 2015, India will have a full circle of navigational satellites in orbit.
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