In its forty third flight, ISRO’s Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle PSLV-C41 successfully launched the
1425 kg IRNSS-1I Navigation Satellite today (April
12, 2018) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre
SHAR, Sriharikota.
PSLV-C41 lifted off at 0404 hrs (4:04 am) IST, as
planned, from the First Launch Pad. After a
flight lasting about 19 minutes, the vehicle
achieved a Sub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a
perigee (nearest point to earth) of 281.5 km and an
apogee (farthest point to earth) of 20,730 km
inclined at an angle of 19.2 degree to the
equator following which IRNSS-1I separated from
PSLV.
After separation, the solar panels of IRNSS-1I were
deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control
Facility (MCF) at Hassan, Karnataka took over the
control of the satellite. In the coming days, orbit
manoeuvres will be performed from MCF to position
the satellite at 55 deg East longitude in the
planned Geosynchronous Orbit with an inclination of
29 deg to the equator.
IRNSS-1I is the latest member of the ‘Navigation
with Indian Constellation (NavIC)’ system.
NavIC, also known as Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (IRNSS), is an independent
regional navigation satellite system designed to
provide position information in the Indian region
and 1500 km around the Indian mainland.
A number of ground facilities responsible for IRNSS
satellite ranging and monitoring, generation and
transmission of navigation parameters, satellite
control, network timing, etc., have been established
in many locations across the country as part of
NavIC.
Till now, PSLV has successfully launched 52 Indian
satellites and 237 customer satellites from abroad.