S. Ramakrishnan.
Thiruvananthapuram: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre scientists are in back-to-back launch mode, gearing up to put into space the second navigational satellite out of seven satellites under the PSLV mission- the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)- in February.
VSSC director S. Ramakrishnan says the project is yet another daunting mission with over 400 people working on it. The cost of PSLV launch vehicle has been estimated at Rs 100 crore. “We hope to get the launch vehicle ready along with the integration as we race to the countdown”, Ramakrishnan told DC.
Another top official of VSSC said the series of seven navigational satellites were the equivalent of what the US had when they launched Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites in earth’s orbit. If the US had a total 23 satellites for GPS, India has seven.
“With IRNSS 1B, we will be covering a little more of Pakistan, China and Sri Lanka in the navigational process. With IRNSS 1A already in orbit, we are tapping its full potential as we have already stabilized it.
“IRNSS 1B applications include terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking, terrestrial navigation aid for travelers and visual and voice navigation for drivers and much more”, said a top official of VSCC.
