By Anantha Krishnan MExpress News Service
Bangalore: It's Mission Saptha Upagraha and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says all on track. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is a constellation of seven satellites and the ISRO seems to have pooled the best space stars from various work centers for the project. Shrugging out of the current crisis and sticking as one unit chanting the 'Mission Matters-mantra' spelt-out by its chief K Radhakrishnan, the prestigious mission promises to make India an independent space power.Scheduled for a launch this year, three satellites are expected to be placed in the Geostationary Orbit (GEO) at 32.5°E, 83°E & 131.5°E and two satellites each will be placed in the Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) with equatorial crossing at 55°E and 111.5°E and at an inclination of 29° to the equator. Two spare satellites are also planned as part of the mission. The IRNSS would provide two services, with the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) open for civilian use and the Restricted Service (RS) -- an encrypted one – for authorized users (military).
The spacecraft configuration has been finalized and the satellites of the constellation are being configured identically with each weighing 1425 kg. First flight model structure has been ready for assembly and integration. Design reviews of major sub-systems of IRNSS satellites like spacecraft structure, thermal control systems, propulsion systems, power system, telemetry tracking and control, deployment mechanisms, pyrotechnic devices, composite elements, check out and integration have been completed. The spacecraft is basically configured with I-1K Bus to be compatible for launch onboard PSLV.
All the payload subsystems and atomic clock units are under various stages of realisation, with the Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore playing the lead role. Civil works of Satellite Control Facility at Hassan is in progress. Four 7.2m antennas and one 11m antenna have been installed so far. The civil works for the IRNSS Navigation Centre at Byalalu and the Factory Acceptance Test for IRNSS Network Timing (IRNWT) elements have also been completed.
A detailed design review with participation of ISRO and other Indian agencies are in progress with the hardware, software-related elements being put under the scanner.
ADVANTAGE INDIA: The current global positioning systems (GPS) are provided by non-civilian departments of other countries and are not guaranteed to be available 24x7. In order to remove the dependency on such systems, India hit upon the IRNSS idea, which provides the position, navigation and timing (PNT) services, independent of other global and regional navigation systems. Post-IRNSS launch, India need not dependent upon on other navigation systems. The project sanctioned in June 2006 with a budget of Rs 1420 crore has four core centres, including the ISAC (Bangalore), SAC (Ahmedabad), ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore and Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan.
“The IRNSS project is significant to Department of Space and ISRO and will be vital for India too. It is emerging as an important space application area not only for civil aviation but in many other areas such as mobile telephones, surface transport, intelligent highway system, maritime transport, rail, oil and gas, precision agriculture, fisheries, survey and marine engineering, science, electricity networks and leisure,” ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan told Express.
Copyright@The New Indian Express
