At Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, ISRO will launch Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1D today.

IRNSS-1D, the India’s first navigation satellite will be placed in the orbit by ISRO’s workhorse with the launch of vehicle PSLV C-27.

The 1,425 kg satellite started its 59.5 hours countdown yesterday only and is now progressing smoothly for the launch.

AS Kiran Kumar, ISRO chairman said, “This satellite will help a person on earth to locate his geographical position in the India”.

He also added, “Once four satellites are up in space, using a receiver on ground you can independently locate yourself, you can determine your position in terms of latitude longitude and height. So this will give us independent geographic positioning system in the country”.

For the telemetry transmitter in the satellite, the date of satellite launch was postponed from 9^th March to 27 and launched yesterday successfully.

The three satellites that were launched before IRNSS-1D are placed in the space system on 1^st July, 2013, 4^th April, 2014 and 16^th October, 2014 respectively.

IRNSS-1D

• In the seven satellites planned to be placed in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, IRNSS-1D is the fourth one.
• It is 1,425 kg in weight.
• 5 hours to get launched.