CHENNAI: India is all set to have its own satellite navigation system, with the space agency gearing up for the launch of the seventh and final navigation satellite IRNSS-1G by the workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C33 on April 28 from the SHAR Range at Sriharikota, about 80 km from here.
Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) sources told UNI today that the launch would take place at 1250 hrs from the First Launch Pad. The four-stage vehicle has been integrated at the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre and the work on integrating the satellite with the launch vehicle was expected to be completed tomorrow.
The date for the Launch Authorisation Board meeting, which would clear the launch, would also be decided in the next couple of days, the sources added.
With this launch, India would be joining the elite group of nations to have its own regional satellite navigation system, on par with the GPS system of the United States (US).
The launch of the last and seventh satellite IRNSS-1G, would mark the completion of the entire Phase-1 IRNSS constellation.
Till date, India has launched six regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID, 1E and 1F) as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km.
As in the previous six launches of IRNSS satellites, the ‘XL’ version of PSLV would be used in this mission also. This would be for the 13th time ‘XL’ configuration would be flown, the earlier 12 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, PSLV-C30/ASTROSAT, PSLV-C31/ IRNSS-IE and PSLV-C32 IRNSS-1F missions.
IRNSS-1G’s predecessors, IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F were launched by PSLV-C22, PSLV-C24, PSLV-C26, PSLV-C27, PSLV-C31 and PSLV-C32 in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014, March 2015, January and March 2016 respectively. (Agencies)
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