CHENNAI, Jan 13:
Buoyed by the success in 2015 which saw the repeated success of PSLV and GSLV shedding the developmental tag and getting the operational tag, the Indian Space Agency is gearing up for the first launch of the New year 2016 when PSLV-C31 will launch the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1E navigation satellite from the spaceport of Sriharikota on January 20.
With 32 successive successful missions, the PSLV-C31, in its 33rd flight, will launch IRNSS-1E, the fifth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) from the Second Launch Pad at 0931 hrs next Wednesday.
ISRO sources said today that the preparations for the launch were on at the SHAR Range in Sriharikota, about 80 km from here.
Works were also on to integrate the satellite with the launch vehicle.
‘’By the end of this week, the satellite will be integrated with the vehicle. The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) will meet on Sunday launch to clear the mission.
‘’Once the LAB gives the nod, the countdown for the launch will commence. The countdown is expected to start on January 18’’, the sources added.
As in the previous four launches of IRNSS satellites, PSLV-C31 will use XL version of PSLV.
This is the 11th time XL configuration was being flown, the earlier ten being PSLV-C11/Chandrayaan-1, PSLV-C17/GSAT-12, PSLV-C19/RISAT-1, PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A, PSLV-C25/Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, PSLV-C24/IRNSS-1B, PSLV-C26/IRNSS-1C, PSLV-C27/IRNSS-1D, PSLV-C28/DMC-3 and PSLV-C30/ASTROSAT missions.
The sources said IRNSS-1E is the fifth navigation satellite in the constellation of seven satellites constituting the IRNSS space segment. Its predecessors, IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and 1D were launched by PSLV-C22, PSLV-C24, PSLV-C26 and PSLV-C27 in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014 and March 2015 respectively. IRNSS-1E will have a lift-off mass of 1425 kg. The configuration of IRNSS-1E is similar to that of IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. IRNSS-1E carries two types of payloads – navigation payload and ranging payload.
The navigation payload of IRNSS-1E 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 sources said,adding, the ranging payload of IRNSS-1E consists of a C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. The IRNSS-1E also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging. (UNI)
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