ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the country’s sixth navigation satellite, IRNSS-1F, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India.

Launched aboard a PSLV-C32 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, the 1,425kg satellite has been placed in its orbital position 20 minutes after takeoff.

Following the launch, IRNSS-1F will be a part of the country’s Independent Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which is designed to provide precise positioning service to users in India and the region stretching up to 1,500km from the border.

The IRNSS consists of a constellation of seven satellites.

ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar was quoted by The Hindu as saying: "It was a precise launch.

"It [PSLV] has taken the satellite into the right orbit. We have only one more satellite in this constellation to complete our sequence of seven satellites for the regional navigation system, which we expect to do sometime next month.

"The signals will be available in one month."

"We have only one more satellite in this constellation to complete our sequence of seven satellites for the regional navigation system, which we expect to do sometime next month."

The satellite was powered by two solar panels producing 1,660W and one lithium-ion battery of 90Ah capacity.

The latest launch was the 33rd successful mission in a row for PSLV and the 12th in its ‘XL’ configuration, prior to which, it lifted off IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID and IE, the first five satellites of the constellation on July 2013, April 2014, October 2014, last March and January respectively.

Meanwhile, ISRO has already begun preparing for the launch of the last satellite in the IRNSS series, the IRNSS-1G.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director K Sivan said: "We are going to start the next mission with the last of our IRNSS series and are going to end this year with a spectacular mission of launching the heaviest Indian satellite on the GSLV Mark III D1."

Image: PSLV lifted off IRNSS-1F. Photo: courtesy of ISRO.