The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C24 was launched successfully on Friday from Indian Space Research Organisation space station here, around 80 km from Chennai. This was the 25th successful launch of PSLV.

The PSLV carries a satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), weighing 1,432 kg. Terrestrial navigation is one of the primary applications of the indigenously developed IRNSS.

The Rs 1,420-crore IRNSS, which would ultimately have seven satellites, is expected to be completed by 2015. The Friday’s launch is the second of the seven. Applications of IRNSS include terrestrial aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aid for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.

The system is similar to the global positioning system of the US, Glonass of Russia, Galileo of Europe, China’s Beidou or the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System.

The satellite is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary. It has an expected lifespan of around 10 years.

The other applications of IRNSS include aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture, visual and navigation for drivers, said ISRO sources.

Unlike GSLV, PSLV was assembled on the launch pad and the vehicle assembly building moves back. In case of GSLV, it is made in a fixed vehicle assembly building and moved to the launch pad. “Technology variants and methodology adopted is great,” says Isro’s Facebook post.

In July 2013, IRNSS-1A was launched by PSLV-C22 (both the vehicles have the similar configuration).

The satellite has been realised in less than seven months after the launch of its predecessor.

K Radhakrishnan, chairman, Isro, said, “The launch was successful and it was injected very precisely. I thank the entire Isro team that made this major milestone for the country.” PSLV C24 injects IRNSS 1B into the intended orbit with remarkable precision, he averred.

Radhakrishnan added two more IRNSS (1C and 1D) will be launched in 2014 for enabling accurate measurements on the ground using receivers. Three more satellites will be launched in the beginning of 2015 and by mid-2015, India would have seven constellations of seven satellites carrying out important services for the country. The GSLV Mark III with a novel pay load will be launched in June 2014.

IRNSS will provide two types of services, including standard positioning service (SPS), which is provided to all the users and restricted service (RS), which is an encrypted service provided only to the authorised users.

The system is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 m in the primary service area and the services are to be beneficial to various sectors, including defence, according to experts.

The satellite system comprises two segments — space and ground. The space segment consists of seven satellites — three in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit.

IRNSS-1A, the first satellite of the IRNSS constellation, has already started functioning from its designated orbital slot after extensive on-orbit test and evaluation to confirm its satisfactory performance, said ISRO.

It is expected to start receiving signals from IRNSS 1B by the end of 2014. Two more navigation satellites were also expected to be launched in 2014, said sources.

IRNSS ground segment is responsible for navigation parameter generation and transmission, satellite controls, ranging and integrity monitoring and time keeping.

This will be the sixth time XL configuration is being flown, while the previous five include PSLV-C11 for Chandrayaan-1, PSLV-C17/GSAT-12, PSLV C19/ RISAT-1, PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A and PSLV-C25 Mars Orbiter Spacecraft missions.

The mission life of IRNSS-1B was 10 years, said ISRO.

Applications of IRNSS include terrestrial aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aide for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.

The system is similar to the global positioning system of the US, Glonass of Russia, Galileo of Europe, China's Beidou or the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System.