The Indian space agency Saturday evening successfully put its first navigation satellite - the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1A (IRNSS-1A) - in the geosynchronous orbit at 27 degrees to the equator, said officials Sunday.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) officials also said tests are being carried on its cryogenic engine that was mated with its heavier rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Friday. With respect to IRNSS-1A, five orbit-raising activities were done by firing the satellite's on-board motors towards its geo-synchronous orbit at 36,000 km since July 2. The IRNSS-1A was launched July 1 from ISRO's spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, around 80km from here. The orbit-raising activities were done from the mission control facility at Hassan in Karnataka.

ISRO officials told IANS that everything connected with IRNSS-1A is normal and the satellite is slowing floating towards its final intended circular geosynchronous orbit at 55 degrees East location with an inclination of 29 degrees to the equator. Officials said once the satellite reaches its target orbit, then its drift would be arrested.

Speaking about the cryogenic engine tests, officials said it will go on for around 20 days following which the satellite will be mated with the rocket. ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan had announced that GSLV rocket powered by India's own cryogenic engine carrying communication satellite GSat-14 will be launched Aug 6.

This will be the first mission of GSLV during the last three years after two such rockets failed in 2010. One of the GSLV rockets flew with Indian cryogenic engine and the other one with a Russian engine. The GSLV is a three stage/engine rocket. The first stage is fired with solid fuel, the second is the liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.

Source: Indo-Asia News Service