One satellite will be launched every six months with the IRNSS expected to be fully operational by 2015
The first of seven satellites will be carried into space as part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), just months after China inaugurated its own domestic satellite navigation system.
"The (Indian) system has been indigenously built to provide accurate position or location information services to users across the country and up to 1,500 kilometres away from our borders," said Devi Prasad Karnik, director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
A rocket carrying the first satellite is expected to take off at 11:41 pm local time Monday from a site in the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
"The 1,425-kilogram satellite will be put into equatorial orbit 20 minutes after lift-off," Karnik told AFP in Bangalore, where the state-run space agency is based.
One satellite will be launched every six months with the IRNSS expected to be fully operational by 2015, the space agency said.
IRNSS will provide commercial and public navigational services such as helping with disaster management as well as movements of India's military, including those of ships and aircraft.
"When fully operational, the system will provide two types of services; standard positioning service and restricted service," Karnik said, after the countdown for the launch began on Saturday.
"The former will be provided to all users while the later will be an encrypted service for authorised users such as the military and security."
Indian officials estimate the project will cost $238.6 million.
India has a well-established space programme which is a source of strong national pride, but its cost has attracted criticism as the government struggles to tackle poverty and child malnutrition.
China's Beidou, or Compass, navigation system started providing services in the region in December, and is expected to offer global coverage by 2020.
Beijing began building the 16-satellite network in 2000 to avoid relying on the US GPS system. Reports in June said Pakistan, which has fought three wars with India, was set to become the fifth Asian country to use the Chinese system.
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@gps: "Billions of poor people in India'? India's population is just 1.2+ billion. Yes your infrastructure maybe better then Indias, but then we do not beg IMF for USD5.5 billion.
@gps: When did you visit these two cities? 20 years back? Have you seen the Delhi and Mumbai today? Delhi already has the seventh largest metro network in the world and state of the art freeways and roads with a well developed BRTS. Mumbai monorail is ready for operations in the month of August with the first phase of the Mumbai Metro opening in October this year. Compare this with one tiny metrobus system in Lahore and guess what?? Blasts, unlike in Karachi, do not happen in Delhi and Mumbai
Well done India....Congrats
@vivek ofcourse when your country is teeming with billions of poor people living in the most dire conditions humanly possible you can only be compared with the worlds other big country which succesful and has a big population! i have been to india to delhi and mumbai and seen where you stand in development and infrastructure!it was even worse than pakistans worst city of karachi
yayy we can use it too!!!
@KHAN: Yaaaaaa...wwnn...., burn out stale joke, copy pasted from internet yaar! kuchh naya kaho. Or has power shortage run your brains down?
It's more fun to read ET comments than the story itself.
Both parties are talking extreme.
Pakistani group must accept that it really is an achievement. Using poverty or potty is their defense won't do much good.
Indians mustn't get carried way. They are way behind the group they are trying to catch up to. Rightly or wrongly, China is much ahead of India.
Especially to HatfXX - please make a remark which, regardless of it's negative content, carries some weight. You have become a laughing stock. What good is your comment if no one takes it seriously!
@Hatf XX: Unlike Pakistan or China we have the courage to admit poverty exists in India. However our vision is to invest massively in research & technology as a driving force to lift people out of poverty & bolster our defenses at the same time. So there is no dichotomy here. But I am afraid your medieval mind(amply proven by your chosen name) will not understand such things.
@Shah: BTW,Why are Pakistanis so obssessed with how Indians relieve our morning duties??? Is it the same obsession which led them to Number 1 spot in Google search for unnatural sex across the globe???
Psst,If you really wanna hear a joke... A Very famous personality of your country in 2008,predicted that a Pakistani will be sitting on the Moon in the next 5 years...... Wake up,its 2013 already
@Shah: At least, we have alive people in our country. You guys wouldn't have that problem as your population is decreasing everyday by some 'explosive' technology your country is using
A country where almost 600 million people lack acces to close toilets is bragging of being space power. What a joke? Please do spend few millions on providing proper sanitation facilities for those 600 million instead of wasting them over few space toys.
@rg i have seen their small cities as well. No point of finding fault. look at their infrastructure , GDP and overall proverty. we have a lot to learn from China except freedom to express and flawed democracy. Same it true for Pakistan, they should learn from India success.
@slum dog: China is just not Beijing and Shanghai. I, being a businessman, have visited CHina several times and trust me, more than half their population is living under 2$ a day. There are several poor sectors which Chinese media doesn't like to talk about. India on the other hand, is much more open about their statistics and the number of people being lifted from poverty every year is almost the population of Pakistan lol!!!! India has been successful in eradicating polio among many other diseases whereas in Pakistan, workers get shot. India has been spending billions on infrastructure like metros, monorails,roads and airports whereas in Pakistan, people go gaga over one tiny metrobus system. Do some introspection before comparing Pakistan and India and think whether you are embarrassing yourselves or not. India has achieved things Pakistan can only dream of
well speaking of china its way ahead from india and there is no comparison between super power and people living in slums.As far as Pakistan is concerned the only reason for it being left out in the developement process is because of its government on the contrary Indian government has a bit nationalism otherwise if you look at the facts and figures india is is totally running on bollywood and IPL.
@Hatf XX: what MR,,,,what u said,,,indian space programs are 100% failure,,,shame on ur knowledge,,,who proved that ""THERE IS WATER ON THE MOON""",,i think CHANDRAYAAN -1 is best example,,,,we indians has the habit of converting stones which were thrown on us into milestones,,,u just sit and watch how taaliban r lynching ur people and ur country,,,,we know how to manage our country,,,,,!!!
@Water Bottle: Indian satellite wouldn’t have found anything on the moon if not for the American equipment. It seems Pakistan is the largest source of Charcoal inside human heart... But, Thanks for the comment, such encouragement from across the border spurs us Indians even more... You see cheerleaders are needed everywhere these days.... Such comments make us realize our identity... My country is 'INDIA'...... And the Tricolor above makes me cherish that every moment i live..... Its a beautiful picture above... Thanks ET for that...
@khan, Vivek: (chuckle) Good ones, mate @Doctor: Bingo! @LOL,Chetan,FYI,realitycheck,vijay: Sorry guys, no cookie - learn from the Doctor @Shan,Vectra,WITIAN: Huh? What China? You guys seriously need some fresh air - maybe you could step out together...
@all responders to my comment: I have been 'moderated' out permanently by ET, so be my guests and jabber along regardless...
@ET mods: Really?
@Adnan: Yours was the exact advise the Americans gave us when Nehru approached them for Steel Mills and money to finance IIT, IIMs and AIMS. Nehru refused to take the American advise. Hence, today India is at the forefront of science & technology. Indians dominate the management ranks of most American and European companies. . Yes we are far behind the progress made by a totalitarian regime like China. That is quite OK with us. However, our achievements are no small ones and the best thing is that Mother India is able to offer of all the Hope for a better tomorrow.
@Water Bottle
"Indian satellite wouldn’t have found anything on the moon if not for the American equipment"
American equipment, you probably talking about M3 or Moon Mineralogy Mapper but you are forgetting that M3 is not the only equipment that find the water on moon but India's MIP or Moon Impact Probe also found the same evidence of having water on moon but in fact much before than M3 discovered water on moon and both the evidence gathered by M3 and MIP were analyzed by NASA and ISRO and found out that both the equipments data supports each other after which the greatest scientific discovery that is "India discovers water on moon" were declared to the entire world.Get your fact right both American (M3) and Indian (MIP) discovered water on moon.M3 discovered water while on orbit phase while MIP discovered water while on impact phase on moon surface.This MIP impact procedure also encourages NASA LCROSS to have an impact on moon year later and that too found molecules on moon soil so all three equipments data gives same result. So Mr waterbottle you have got your one sided assumption wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoonImpactProbe http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/mip-detected-water-on-moon-way-back-in-june-isro-chairman/article24854.ece http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-14/india/285415541chandrayaan-1-moon-impact-probe-moon-mission http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2009-09-25/news/276360331chandrayaan-1-moon-mineralogy-mapper-moon-impact-probe
I understand the lack of resources for the readers of ET. However, I am surprised that not a single contributor to the Op-Ed section of the ET have dared to introspect. There is a glaring contrast between India and Pakistan. While India makes into headlines of international news agencies for achievements in space programs, prevention of polio, Pakistan does for all the wrong reasons. Why doesn't anybody write this in their Op-Ed pages?
@Hatf XX: if that would have been a case larges humant massacre would have occured in india long ago
@KHAN: India supplies technology to NASA and European countries. You Pakistanis can only dream about the progress India has made in space science.
@Hatf XX - Our satellite found water on the moon. You guys on the other hand keep fighting over who sees/saw the moon first before Id-ul-Fitr. This in the age when moonrise can be predicted ages before, with advanced computing or simply with mathematical calculations as done in our Hindu almanacs.
Hey guys don't get hatfXX wrong, ignorant sob might have read ISRO's 100th successful mission reported months back wrongly. They are used to reading lies and propaganda from their textbooks.
Kindly note that cost of launching satellites from ISRO India is very cheap as compared to Guiana space center France and so a lot of countries have approached India and India has succesfuuly launched there satellites b4.
@rg: At least India has already done a Moon mission with another mission in December to Mars whereas the only mission your country has is explosions!!! Dude they are step ahead of us!!!! The way they are going, it appears they will create a miniature Mars on earth!!! Right in our western neighborhood.. With realistic craters and no life!! Our next generation can learn about Mars first hand and they don't have to risk going into the space also.. See the upside of this?
@KHAN - Sit with all due respect pls introspect what your country(Pakistan) has achieved.There 100's of article wriiten on India and why western countries belive that India could be superpower. Just half of our population is at work just imagine when full India is at force.
@Manju
LOL. That was a great comment.
By comparing India to China, the pakistanis themselves are admitting implicitly that they are miles behind India in pretty much everything, and that India has joined the other great powers of the world on equal footing.
They on the other hand have joined the league of the great powers on the other extreme: Somalia, Mozambique, Afghanistan (AF-PAK, and not PAK-AF, meaning they are trailing here also), and the the other migraines of the world.
The space program is a special one which includes six satellites three in geo-stationery and three in geo-synchronous orbit that allows it to navigate the whole of indian mainland and 1500 kms to both sides of borders and can be used for both civilian and military purposes which will give the forces i think better navigation facilities than the civilian and from what i have read it will use encrypted system for that the whole project will be ready by 2015 and has three levels -space level where we have the satellites at ground level will have navigation facilitating equipment like antennas and at last the end user level.To fellow indians pls dont go berserk at a single comment of an ignorant person there are many congratulatory comments for our space success so i would thank all the congratulating people.
Khan, Does your country even have a space program? At least India has already done a Moon mission with another mission in December to Mars whereas the only mission your country has is explosions!!!
INDIA: Successful Satellite Launch for Mars...Found life on Mars with Huge quantity of Whales and Sharks
Moments Later
NASA:- NASA Found a Satellite floating in Arabian Sea......
Hope this time it is a success XD
@Hatf XX: Their launches have worst failure record, almost 100% failure but they still keep trying to fool their public – pathetic! Brother - Ignorance is bliss only in movie dialogues........ Out of the 20 odd missions that the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) had undertaken so far, it has failed only once in September 1993..... A success rate of more than 95% and failure rate of around 4%....... Cool Is not it.. Please save the charcoal inside you, you will need to burn it 6 more times or may be you can launch your own satellite with it!!!
@Hatf XX: Are you mad? Where are the facts?
@adnan.. why are you bringing China.. That clearly indicates your utter failure.. Just try to come up with your own achievements if any..
@adnan - Dude don't forget pakistan is also many light years behind India
@amir: Long live russia….hihihibihi
Your joke is outdated by 30 years.....When was the last time,you went to an electronic store,checked a Product and said " Hey look,its made in Russia so it must be high quality"
Its already up in the orbit;
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/india-s-first-dedicated-navigation-satellite-placed-in-orbit-386649
Congratulations. Though Indians are talking of 7 satellites, they won't stop till number matches to that of China or US.
What a beautiful captioned picture is. India's flag. Love the colours
This is the 23rd successful flight of the PSLV. Someone above was talking about failure rate.
Hatt-off Indian space program and scientists.Indian GPS program under implementation.
Launch successful - satellite separated and injected precisely in the orbit intended !
PSLV C22 launch was sucessful.Congradulation to all scientist and great milestone of Indian space program.I am proud of you all.
What "hatfxx" is really saying is this: How dare the kafirs launch satellites and make advances in space technology, when we the believers are still to get off the ground!!!
@Adnan: Adnan paaji I got moderated too. Thank you, ET.Dear paaji, money are allocated to departments. Isro is a star for us.simply put it I don't want my fellow Indian brothers and sisters to starve but I am insisting on a cold storage...monitor it..no privatisation...no Indian should starve. We have the food, isro is wonderful, made my heart go star trek...I honestly believe it is a part of diplomacy. Isro is a commitment of the people of south Asian continent. How is my pind in guranrawala. ? No idea.marhaba.
Ps.......Isro continue , you don't have politicians creating havoc. World loves you, one humanity, dream of our founders. We did not not let them down in elections. No modi and bjp, India is not Gujarat. I will vote for congress. Hate me all you can brother's and sisters.
@amir:
you know, Russia has already its own version of GPS,known as GLONASS.
@joy: And the rest of them eat grass , to show their solidarity to the long gone ZAB ;)
to all Indians, heart felt congratulations. Please more like this, your achievements might awake us too.
i would like to remind my Indian compatriots the old saying..." proof of the pudding remains in its eating" So we need not talk but just show to the world what we are capable of .You must realise that our Pakistani friends are so concerned about poverty in our country that more than half of their population just refuses to eat even one full meal a day to show their support and sympathy:)
@Hatf XX: Your jealousy is sweet!!! Yes we have failed and i assure you we will fail but we will never stop trying.I hope 500 years down the line you'd learn to appreciate ambition perseverance and hard work. Khuda Hafiz!
@Maverick: Maverick "It’ll never work!"
Bro, you are mistaken. The system is not made or designed in China.
@Hatf XX: This is what you think and burn you blood. Your statement reflects your Anti-India sentiments and believe me you won't get anything out of it. You call yourself an Islamic Republic yet every day muslims are killed everywhere in Pakistan. WOW :) You call yourself a Democratic Country yet you have Zamindari and Jagirdari where many muslims are treated like slaves.
pak will launch their own pslv after they find what pslv means @Hatf XX:
pak will launch water rocket
The Satellite has been indigenously built to provide accurate position or location information services to users across the country and up to 1,500 kilometres (937 miles) away from our borders," said Devi Prasad Karnik, Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation. So it can be used as a Spy Satellite too as it integrates completely with Army, Navy & Airforce. It will be very helpful to keep few space eyes inside enemy borders, so that we can know more about their installations, weaknesses and strengths ( if they have any ).
India with their succesfull Moon mission and forthcoming Mars mission, both places where only US has gone so far, has to develop faster space missions. This GPS system will be helpful to SAARC nations. Congratulations! You will do all South Asians proud.
@hatf xx, keep dreaming with all the incorrect facts you got from wrong source, while your own house continue to burn with ignorance.
Best of luck India.Also like to launch very heavy rockets like GSLV.
@Hatf XX: When was your junk china become super power? The chinese technology always will be a copy paste technology and no innovation like US.But they pretend to be like a super power
@Hatf XX
Their launches have worst failure record, almost 100% failure but they still keep trying to fool their public – pathetic!
Thats why our satellite found water in moon.
The Satellite has been indigenously built to provide accurate position or location information services to users across the country and up to 1,500 kilometres (937 miles) away from our borders," said Devi Prasad Karnik, Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation. So it can be used as a Spy Satellite too as it integrates completely with Army, Navy & Airforce ). It will be very helpful to keep few space eyes inside enemy borders.
India would do better spending the $238.6 million on feeding its starving millions rather than trying to compete with China who is light-years ahead!
It'll never work!
they can't feed 80% of their population but want to ape China. Their launches have worst failure record, almost 100% failure but they still keep trying to fool their public - pathetic!
@indi Do not compare india to china. I presume you have never been to china. We are far behind them. We are growing but the speed is not good enough.
Proud to be an Indian !! Go India Go ...
i hope the launch is successful.... also i think that science and tech is required for job creation and reducing poverty ....so one must invest more and more in science and tech....china too has a lot of poverty but they have a fantastic space program.... :)
Slow and steady the tortoise will win the race. Congrats to all Indians and friends here. Cheerio.just prioritize the food supply warehousing system and kick the middleman out next.