THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the successful launch of IRNSS-1I on board the PSLV-C41 rocket at 4.4 am on Thursday, ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan and his team from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Liquid Propulsions Systems Centre (LPSC) set their focus on the next launch of PSLV-C42 in August and ahead of that GSLV Mk III in June . Now with this navigation satellite in orbit, Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) constellation is complete and sets the stage for India's self-reliance on geo positioning system (GPS) among other space faring nations. While a team of scientists are continuously tracking the GSAT-6A satellite as part of its retrieval efforts.

“This PSLV-C41 launch is a thorough success to place the IRNSS-1I satellite in geosynchronous orbit. With this NavIC constellation is complete, for an independent regional navigation satellite system. Our focus will be on the upcoming launches of GSLV-MK III in June, PSLV-C42 inn August, GSLV-MK III and Chandrayaan-2 in October,” ISRO chairman K Sivan told TOI.

“Now, this IRNSS-1I is the seventh satellite successfully placed in orbit, two satellites are in the ground stations as nine Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellites. This launch was because of the one failure earlier. This satellite will replace India's first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A, which failed after its three Rubidium atomic clocks had stopped working two years ago. This satellite is already in orbit and completes the NavIC constellation of seven satellites. The system is designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland,” VSSC director S Somnath told TOI. He said the ISRO team will now focus on the upcoming launches including GSLV-MKIII, PSLV-C42 in August, and then Chandrayaan-2, he said.

On whether the 2.2 ton GSAT-6A communication satellite which has lost contact with the ground station, Somnath said it is continuously being tracked. “GSAT-6A satellite is not on safe mode, if so then it will receive the command from ground station. The tracking is on as part of retrieval efforts to revive it,” he said.

Scientists also indicate that it has lost contact probably due to power failure in the system.The second demonstration flight of GSLV-Mk III - D2 by June will be to place the 3.5 ton GSAT-29 special communication satellite in orbit and the satellite will find its application intelecommunications, television broadcasting and disaster warning, he said.

LPSC director V Narayanan indicated that the successful launch of PSLV-C41 will help boost the morale of the ISRO team for future missions.

Scientists at VSSC told TOI that ahead of the next PSLV launch, now the immediate focus will be on the Pad abort test of its crew module as part of Indian human spaceflight programme. A Pad Abort Test is a trial run for a spacecraft’s launch abort system in which the launch vehicle ejects the spacecraft into space.

