India Launched Its First Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1A

Introduction

India has successfully launched its first dedicated navigation satellite IRNSS-1A using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh (AP), on July 1, 2013.

IRNSS-1A developed by India is the first of the seven satellites constituting the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) space segment and has a mission life of 10 years.

The satellite is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in the country as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary.

IRNSS consisting of a space segment and a ground segment has three satellites in geostationary orbit and four satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbit and is to be completed before 2015.

IRNSS-1A was launched at a cost of approximately Rs 125 crore (US$ 21.05 million), said Mr K Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

For the ground segment Rs 300 crore (US$ 50.53 million) is allocated and almost all the satellites would cost Rs 125 crore (US$ 21.05 million), since all of them would most probably be identical, said Mr Radhakrishnan.

IRNSS will be on lines with Russia's Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), European Union's Galileo (GNSS), China's BeiDou satellite navigation system and the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System.

Source

India Brand Equity Foundation, July 02, 2013