Tech News ISRO’s sixth navigation satellite IRNSS-1F: All we need to know

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ISRO’s sixth navigation satellite IRNSS-1F: All we need to know

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its sixth navigation satellite IRNSS-1F on Thursday at 4 pm.

The satellite will be launched into orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

This system aims at developing an independent regional navigation satellite system for India just like America's reliable Global Positioning System (GPS).

The 54-hour countdown for the satellite began on Tuesday after the project was cleared by Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1F (IRNSS-1F) is the sixth navigation satellite in the IRNSS system. The system comprises of total seven satellites.

The satellite will be launched by PSLV C32 which will go on its 34th mission on Thursday.

The first five satellites of the series namely IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E were launched in July 2013, April 2014, October 2014, March 2015 and January 2016 respectively.

The seventh and last satellite in this series is expected to be launched in the second half of the year and will help in providing accurate positional information to the Indian users.

Along with the navigation payload and ranging payload, the satellite also carries a "highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock" with it. The payload will transmit navigation service signals to the users.

The 44.4 metre tall IRNSS-1F has a liftoff mass of 1,425 kg and would be launched in sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub GTO). It has a 12 year mission life.