India Launches Sixth Navigation Satellite In Copy-Book Style
SRIHARIKOTA: India on Thursday successfully put into orbit its sixth navigation satellite called IRNSS-1F with its own rocket in a copy book style.
With this success, India moved closer towards joining a select group of nations possessing its own satellite-based navigation system.
Named as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the system consists of a constellation of seven satellites, of which the sixth was put into orbit on Thursday.
Immediately after the 1,425-kg IRNSS-1F satellite was injected into space by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C32) rocket, scientists at the mission control centre clapped their hands in joy.
"The sixth navigation satellite has been put into orbit successfully. The seventh navigation satellite is expected to be launched some time next month," A.S. Kiran Kumar, ISRO chairman said soon after.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will raise the satellite to its home slot over the next couple of days.
The satellite, with a design life span of 12 years, has two payloads for navigation and ranging.
The navigation payload of IRNSS-1F will transmit navigation service signals to the users. This payload will be operating in L5-band and S-band. A highly accurate rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload of the satellite.
The ranging payload of IRNSS-1F consists of a C-band transponder (automatic receivers and transmitters of radio signals) which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite.
IRNSS-1F also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging.
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