Article Posted on : - Apr 11, 2018

CHENNAI (PTI): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch a navigation satellite, the eighth such satellite to be the part of a constellation, from Sriharikota on Thursday.

The PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I mission is scheduled to be launched on Thursday morning at 04:04 AM, the space agency said on Tuesday.

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

The launch will be ISRO's second attempt at sending a replacement satellite.

The previous mission of a PSLV carrying IRNSS-1H in August last year failed after the heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate.

"India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its forty-third flight (PSLV-C41) in XL configuration will launch IRNSS-1I Satellite from First Launch Pad (FLP) of SDSC (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota," the ISRO said.

The IRNSS-1I mission will take place two weeks after the space agency launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II. Though the rocket placed GSAT-6A in orbit, ISRO lost communication with the satellite.