Countdown for ISRO's 100th mission begins at Sriharikota
Sriharikota, (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): The 27-hour countdown for ISRO's historic 100th mission from this spaceport, launch of a Navigation satellite onboard a GSLV rocket commenced on Tuesday, sources in the space agency said. Also, this would be the first mission for ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, who assumed office on January 13.
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with indigenous Cryogenic upper stage in its 17th flight, carrying the navigation satellite NVS-02 is scheduled for lift-off at 6.23 am on January 29 from the second launch pad here.
The navigation satellite is the second in the series of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) aimed to provide accurate position, velocity and timing to users in the Indian sub-continent as well as to regions about 1,500 km beyond the Indian land mass.
"The 27.30 hour countdown commenced at 02.53 am on Tuesday," multiple sources told PTI.
The 50.9 metre tall GSLV-F15 follows the GSLV-F12 mission which successfully carried navigation satellite NVS-01, the first of the second generation satellites on May 29, 2023.
NavIC comprises five second generation satellites--NVS-01/02/03/04/05 envisaged to augment NavIC base layer constellation with enhanced features for ensuring continuity of services.
The NVS-02 satellite designed and developed by the U R Satellite Centre weighs about 2,250 kg. It has navigation payload in L1, L5 and S bands in addition to ranging payload in C-band like its predecessor NVS-01.
The key applications the satellite would be used for are terrestrial, aerial and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, fleet management, location based services in mobile devices, orbit determination for satellites, Internet-of-Things (IoT) based applications, emergency and timing services, ISRO said.
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Vijay says no to CM convoy until swearing-in: TVK
Chennai (PTI): TVK chief Vijay declined to accept the police convoy vehicles provided to Tamil Nadu chief minister as per protocol until his swearing-in, the party said on Thursday.
A police official confirmed that the CM convoy vehicles provided to him "as per protocol" following the announcement of the Assembly election results were returned and have not been withdrawn.
The official also said that arrangements were in place for the swearing-in ceremony.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) clarified that its party founder Vijay had "personally requested that the convoy vehicles be returned". In a statement here, the TVK said: "Vijay conveyed that he would accept the official chief minister-level security only after forming the government with a decisive mandate".
Four convoy vehicles assigned to Vijay on May 4 after his TVK secured 108 seats in the Assembly polls returned from his residence following his request.
Even on May 6, the police had deployed security near his Panaiyur residence and in front of the Lok Bhavan here when Vijay called on Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to stake his claim to form the government. Vijay did not use the government vehicle to meet the Governor.
