ISRO scientists will place the sixth navigational satellite IRNSS-1F in orbit on March 10. The Mission Readiness Review Committee (MRRC) has decided to begin the count-down activities of the PSLV-C32 mission that would carry the satellite to the space. This would be the second launch for ISRO in the new year.

With 33 successive successful missions,  the PSLV-C32, after a flight duration of about 20 minutes, will place IRNSS-1F, the  sixth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in  the sub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit  (sub GTO), with a perigee of 284 km (nearest  point to earth) and an apogee of 20,657 km  (farthest point to earth) with an inclination  of 17.86 deg to the equatorial plane. As in the previous five launches of  IRNSS satellites, PSLV-C32 will use  XL version of PSLV.

Till date India has launched five regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID and 1E) as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km.

Though the full system comprises nine satellites — seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by — the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites, ISRO officials had said earlier. Each satellite costs about Rs 150 crore and the PSLV-XL version rocket costs about Rs 130 crore. The seven rockets would entail an outlay of about Rs 910 crore.

The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed in 2016 itself. The first satellite IRNSS-1A was launched in July 2013, the second IRNSS-1B in April 2014, the third on October 2014, the fourth in March 2015, and the fifth in January this year. The seventh satellite-IRNSS-1G- is expected to be launched in the second half of 2016.

Once the regional navigation system is in place, India need not be dependent on other platforms.