ISRO… Absent The Anomaly, July 1st Is Now The Date (Launch)

[SatNews] The Indian Space Research Organisation has now scheduled the launch of the country’s first navigation satellite for July first after rectifying an anomaly. “Review is on. It’s scheduled to be launched at 11:43 p.m. on July one”, ISRO sources said. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1A (IRNSS-1A) was scheduled for launch on board Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C22) on June 12, 2013 at 01:01 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The spacecraft had gone through all electrical checks and was ready for propellant filling. The PSLV-C22 was fully integrated and was undergoing electrical checks.

However, during the electrical checks of the launch vehicle earlier this month, an anomaly was observed in one of the electro-hydraulic control actuators in the second stage, forcing the space agency to postpone the launch. Bangalore headquartered ISRO has since replaced this actuator.

The 1425 kg IRNSS-1, which will have a life span of about 10 years, will provide satellite-based terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation services and also help in disaster and fleet management and vehicle tracking, an ISRO official said. ISRO has planned to have a constellation of seven satellites under IRNSS by 2014-15.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system, and once all the spacecraft become operational, it would provide position accuracy, similar to Global Positioning System (GPS), of better than 10 metres over India and the region extending about 1,500 km around the country. IRNSS provides two basic services — standard positioning service for common civilian users and restricted service for special authorised users, ISRO said. (Source: The Economic Times.)