ISRO's PSLV-C41 to launch IRNSS-1I navigation satellite on April 12: Why is it important?

India is now set to launch yet another navigation satellite from its spaceport in Sriharikota, located in Andhra Pradesh on April 12. The launch will take place at 04:04AM IST.

ISRO said in a statement on the official website, “The 43rd flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C41) will launch the Indian Remote Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS-1I) from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on April 12 at 4.04am.”

The launch takes place after ISRO launched the communication satellite GSAT-6A on March 29 on board a heavy rocket (GSLV), but lost communication link with it on March 31 when it was on course to its intended slot in the geo-stationary orbit, about 36,000km above the Earth, points out SME Times.

The IRNSS-1I will be the eighth satellite to join the NavIC navigation satellite constellation in Earth's polar orbit. It will be a replacement of in the NavIC constellation for the 1,425kg IRNSS-1H that failed to eject out of the PSLV rocket in August, 2017.

IRNSS-1H would have been a backup navigation satellite for IRNSS-1A one of the seven satellites of the constellation, as its three rubidium atomic clocks on board had stopped functioning. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional system developed by India on par with the US-based GPS, Glonass of Russia, and Galileo developed by Europe. The system that offer services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aide for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers, was named 'NavIC' (Navigation with Indian Constellation) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.