KalingaTV News Network
Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1I navigation satellite, the eighth such satellite to be a part of a constellation, from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre here off the coast of Andhra Pradesh early this morning.
PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I Mission blasted off at 4.04 am from the first launch pad of the Space Centre.
ISRO officials said that the satellite has been successfully placed in the designated orbit.
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. The launch is ISRO’s second attempt at sending a replacement satellite. The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August last year failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.
The successful launch came just 14 days after the much larger Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle or GSLV rocket launch on March 29 spelled a setback for the space agency as it lost communication with the satellite within two days.
Ms Kalinga