India launches second navigation satellite IRNSS 1B

SRIHARIKOTA: India today successfully launched its second navigational satellite IRNSS 1B onboard PSLV-C24 from this spaceport.

Indian Space Research Organisation's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C24 placed the IRNSS IB in precise orbit about 19 minutes after a perfect lift-off at 5.14 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here.

"PSLV, in its 25th successive successful flight, injected IRNSS-1B very precisely. I thank the entire ISRO team that made this major milestone for the country, thus proving again that India's PSLV has a place of pride," a beaming ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan announced.

"By 2014 we will launch two more navigational satellites - IRNSS-1C and IRNSS-1D. Three more navigational satellites will be launched early 2015. By middle of 2015, India will have all the navigational satellite system."

He said the ISRO team will be coming to its spaceport again in June to launch the country's heavier rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle - Mark III (GSLV-Mk III).

The 1,432 kg satellite would form part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), an equivalent to Global Positioning System of the US.

The IRNSS 1B is the second of the seven navigational satellite planned by India under the Rs 1,420 crore IRNSS programme.