Chennai, March 2 (IANS) India will move closer to its own satellite navigation system with the launch of its fourth satellite tentatively slated for March 9, a senior official of the Indian space agency said on Monday.
"The launch is tentatively planned for March 9 evening around 6.35 p.m. However final green signal for the launch will be given days ahead of the satellite launch," M.Y.S. Prasad, director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, part of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
He said the satellite has been tested and mated with the rocket and the heat shield will be closed Monday.
"Full test will be done again Tuesday and the rocket will be moved to the second launch pad on March 4," Prasad said.
According to him, the space agency's Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) has to give the final nod for the rocket's flight.
The LAB meeting is slated for March 6.
The 59 hour countdown is expected to begin on March 7 morning.
Weighing 1,425 kg, the fourth of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellite-IRNSS-1D would be flown into space in an Indian rocket called Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL.
After its successful launch and commissioning IRNSS-ID is expected to make India among select group of countries having its own satellite navigation system.
The satellite has a life span of around 10 years.
Currently India is knocking at the door step of an exclusive space club - navigation satellite system owing club - that has the US, Russia, China and Japan as members.
Though the full system comprises of nine satellites - seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by - the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites, ISRO officials had said earlier.
Each satellite costs around Rs.150 crore and the PSLV-XL version rocket would cost around Rs.130 crore. The seven rockets would involve an outlay of around Rs.910 crore.
The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.
The first satellite IRNSS-1A was launched in July 2013, the second IRNSS-1B in April 2014 and the third one October 16, 2014.
Once the regional navigation system is in place, India need not be dependent on others.
The IRNSS will provide two types of services -- standard positioning service and restricted service. The former is provided to all users and the latter is an encrypted service for authorised users.
The IRNSS system comprises of two segments - the space and the ground. The space segment consists of seven satellites of which three will be in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit.
The ground segment consists of infrastructure for controlling, tracking and other facilities.
Realme launched Realme C35 smartphone, in addition to 4 cameras, these features are available
Realme has launched another budget smartphone in India. This phone is Realme C35. Here we are giv
Pollution has worried the countries of the world including India. Different measures are being ta
What did Saudi Arabia say in India on Taliban, Pakistan, and Kashmir?
Visiting Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has said that attention should
The series of bridge collapses continues in Saran. Within 24 hours, the third bridge collapsed. T
India's health structure crumbles in front of Corona crisis, media is raising questions
The second wave of Corona in India has made the condition of health services in other major citie
As the mercury rises, the garbage mountain in Ghazipur is on fire once again. The fire
The US space agency NASA has once again extended the launch date of its much-awaited Moon Rocket.
Lockdown: Air travel will change after lockdown, special arrangements at IGI Airport
New Delhi: Due to the lockdown in the country, it has been more than 40 days of air travel stoppe
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is underway amid Russia's reco
As per the strategy, Khalistani terrorists reached Puranpur in Pilibhit and took shelter in a hot
