The First GPS Satellite of India

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

IRNSS-1C is the third out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites. The satellite was successfully launched using India's PSLV-C26 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on 16 October 2014 at 1:32 am.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS is an indigenously developed Navigation Satellite System that is used to provide accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and region extending to 1500 km around India. The fully deployed IRNSS system consists of 3 satellites in GEO orbit and 4 satellites in GSO orbit, approximately 36,000 km altitude above earth surface.However, the full system comprises nine satellites, including two on the ground as stand-by. The requirement of such a navigation system is driven because access to foreign government-controlled global navigation satellite systems is not guaranteed in hostile situations, as happened to the Indian military depending on American GPS during the Kargil War. The IRNSS would provide two services, with the Standard Positioning Service open for civilian use, and the Restricted Service (an encrypted one) for authorized users (including the military). IRNSS would have seven satellites, out of which five are already placed in orbit. The constellation of seven satellites is expected to operate from June 2016 onwards.
 

Satellites

 

IRNSS-1A

IRNSS-1A was the first navigational satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites to be placed in geosynchronous orbit. It was built at ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, costing ₹125 crore (US$18 million). It has a lift-off mass of 1380 kg, and carries a navigation payload and a C-band ranging transponder, which operates in L5 band (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2492.028 MHz). An optimised I-1K bus structure with a power handling capability of around 1600 watts is used and is designed for a ten-year mission. The satellite was launched on-board PSLV-C22 on 1 July 2013 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

IRNSS-1B

IRNSS-1B is the second out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. It was very precisely and successfully placed in its orbit through PSLV-C24 rocket on 4 April 2014

IRNSS-1C

IRNSS-1C is the third out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites. The satellite was successfully launched using India's PSLV-C26 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on 16 October 2014 at 1:32 am.

IRNSS-1D

IRNSS-1D is the fourth out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites system. It was successfully launched using India's PSLV-C27 on 28 March 2015 at 5:19 pm.

IRNSS-1E

IRNSS-1E is the fifth out of seven in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites system. It was successfully launched on 20 January 2016 using India's PSLV-C31 at 09:31 am.

IRNSS-1F and IRNSS-1G

IRNSS-1F will be the sixth and IRNSS-1G will be seventh of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System series of satellites. Their launches are planned for March 10th and 31st resp. 

Time-frame

In April 2010, it was reported that India plans to start launching satellites by the end of 2011, at a rate of one satellite every six months. This would have made the IRNSS functional by 2015. But program was delayed. India also launched 3 new satellites into space to supplement this.

Seven satellites with the prefix "IRNSS-1" will constitute the space segment of the IRNSS. IRNSS-1A, the first of the seven satellites of the IRNSS constellation, was launched on 1 July 2013. IRNSS-1B was launched on 4 April 2014 at 17:14 IST on board the PSLV-C24 rocket. The satellite has been placed in geosynchronous orbit. IRNSS-1C was launched on 16 October 2014, IRNSS-1D on 28 March 2015 and IRNSS-1E was launched on 20 January 2016 Of the  remaining two satellites, IRNSS-1F has a planned launch in March 2016 and IRNSS-1G should be in orbit by April 2016 and by middle of 2016, India will have the full navigational satellite system in place.