Countdown begins for launch of ISRO's navigation satellite

Countdown began on Thursday for the launch of India's latest navigation satellite Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1D onboard PSLV-C-27 on March 28 from Sriharikota that would take the country closer to setting up its own navigation system on par with the GPS of the US.

“The 59-and-half hour count down for PSLV-C27/IRNSS-1D Mission has started at 05.49 am,” Indian Space Research Organisation said in a post on its Facebook page.

The countdown began after the Mission Readiness Review and the Launch Authorisation Board on Thursday cleared it.

The launch of IRNSS-1D, originally scheduled for launch on March 9, was deferred after an anomaly was found in one of the telemetry transmitters.

The satellite is now scheduled to be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, about 90 km from Chennai, at 5.19 pm on March 28.

IRNSS 1D is the fourth in the series of seven satellites, the space agency is planning to launch to put in place the IRNSS.

According to ISRO, while four satellites would be sufficient to start operations of the system, the remaining three would make it more accurate and efficient.

The first three satellites in the IRNSS series were launched from Sriharikota on July 1, 2013, April 4 and October 16 last year respectively.

The system would provide two types of services -- Standard Positioning Service, which is provided to all the users, and Restricted Service that is an encrypted service provided only to authorised users.

The IRNSS system was targeted to be completed by this year at a total cost of Rs 1,420 crore.

IRNSS is designed to provide accurate position information services to users in the country as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. 

Image: Integration of 1st stage of PSLV-C27 that will carry onboard the ISRO navigation satellite. Photograph: ISRO