The campaign for the lift-off of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C24) is gathering momentum. The rocket will blast off at 5.14 p.m. on April 4 from Sriharikota and put into orbit a 1,432-kg navigation satellite, called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS-1B).
Engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have stacked up the vehicle’s four stages in the first launch pad. The satellite, sheathed in the heat-shield, has been mated with the vehicle. The launch rehearsal was completed without hitch on Saturday.
“Everything is ready,” said ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan. “On Thursday, we completed the final checks on the vehicle… The countdown, lasting 58 hours and a half, will begin at 6.44 a.m. on April 2.”
M.C. Dathan, Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu, said the launch rehearsal “went off without any issues.” ISRO engineers checked the vehicle’s telemetry, tele-command and power systems.
The IRNSS-1B is the second in a series of seven satellites. The IRNSS-1A was put into orbit on July 1, 2013. The PSLV will launch two more such satellites before the end of 2014.
The IRNSS-1B will be useful in terrestrial, aerial and sea navigation. It will beam back accurate information on the position of trucks, cars, battle tanks, aircraft, missiles, ships and submarines with precise timing reference. Truck and car drivers, pilots of civilian or combat aircraft and ship captains can properly plan their route using the IRNSS satellites which will guide them towards their destination with the help of a receiver. The satellites will way-point the missiles to their targets.
