ISRO successfully launches key satellite days after first failure

Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation's navigation satellite INRSS-1I was on Thursday launched by PSLV-C41 from the spaceport in Sriharikota and successfully placed in the designated orbit.

PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I Mission blasted off at 4.04 am from the first launchpad at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre. It was a normal lift-off, ISRO officials said.

The workhorse, PSLV, injected the satellite into orbit 19 minutes after lift-off from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan described the mission as a success and congratulated the scientists behind it.

He said IRNSS-1I was successfully placed in the designated orbit. IRNSS-1I is expected to replace IRNSS-1A, the first of the seven navigation satellites, that was rendered ineffective after its three rubidium atomic clocks failed.

Also Read: ISRO hits a century of satellites, fires its 100th today and 29 more

The seven satellites are part of the NavIC navigation satellite constellation.

The launch is ISRO's second attempt at sending a replacement satellite. The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August 2017, failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.

The IRNSS-1I mission takes place two weeks after the space agency launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II.

Though the rocket placed GSAT-6A in orbit, the ISRO lost communication with the satellite within two days.