India Launches Second Navigation Satellite

[MikeB]

SpaceFlightInsider.com reports that last week India successfully launched the second IRNSS satellite in a constellation of 7 spacecraft to provide strategic navigational services for the country. Two more satellites are planned for launch this year, which will provide an operational service, the remaining satellites of the constellation will be in service by 2016.

With tensions between the US and Russia, and China being an emerging superpower it is easy to see why India would perceives the need for their own independent strategic system. This was also highlighted by the outage of the GLONASS system last week where reliance on a single external supplier could have caused failure in defence systems.

The coverage of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) includes the entire landmass of India plus an areas of 1,500 Km surrounding its borders. The system provides both open and restricted services allowing unrestricted access for civilians, and encrypted services to military and other users.

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Mike Barrett

[Snudge]

Good to see our financial aid to India being put to good use.

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