BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) master control facility (MCF) at Hassan performed the first two orbit-raising operations on Friday on the Thursday-launched Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1I navigation satellite.
The orbit-raising operations to be carried out in the coming days is aimed at positioning the satellite at its final orbital space home position at 55 deg East longitude in the planned Geosynchronous Orbit with an inclination of 29 deg to the equator.
The first orbit raising operation of IRNSS-1I was successfully carried out at 4:19 am on Friday to achieve a perigee (closest point to earth) height of 315 km and apogee (fathest point) height of 35,809 km.
The second orbit raising operation of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System -1I was carried out around about 8.04 pm on Friday to achieve a targeted perigee height of 8,536 km and apogee height of 35,793 km.
The 1,425 Kg IRNSS-1I was launched at 4.04 am on Thursday on board PSLV-C41 from ISRO’s First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. It was the 43rd flight of ISRO’s workhorse launcher Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Once in its orbital home, the IRNSS-1I will join seven other satellites of the IRNSS constellation — Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System -1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G — which is already in place over India.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System , which is also called ‘Navigation with Indian Constellation (or NavIC)’ system, once operational later this year, will deliver indigenous navigational and positioning services to Indian land-based users.