The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) early on Thursday launched the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite aboard the PSLV-C41 from spaceport in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. The four stage/engine PSLV-XL rocket, standing 44.4 metres tall and weighing 321 tonnes, blasted off at 4.04 am from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
After the launch, ISRO chairman K Sivan described the mission as a success and congratulated the scientists behind it. He said IRNSS-1I was successfully placed in the designated orbit. "I am extremely happy to announce that the PSLV has precisely injected the navigation satellite in the targeted orbit," he said.
Sivan said over the next eight months, ISRO has planned nine launch missions including the Moon mission towards the end of the year.
INDIAN PSLV ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH NAVIGATION SATELLITE: THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
1. The workhorse, PSLV, injected the satellite into orbit 19 minutes after lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
2. This comes two weeks after the space agency launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II.
3. IRNSS-1I is expected to replace IRNSS-1A, the first of the seven navigation satellites, that was rendered ineffective after its three rubidium atomic clocks failed. The seven satellites are part of the NavIC navigation satellite constellation.
4. The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August last year failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.
5. The launch is ISRO's second attempt at sending a replacement satellite.
- With agency inputs
