The 48 hour countdown for the launch of the fifth navigational satellite IRNSS-1E on January 20 began today morning at the spaceport of Sriharikota. The satellite will be propelled into space by ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle PSLV-C31. The Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and the Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) met at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre last evening and cleared the launch.<br/> <br/>IRNSS is an indigenously developed Navigation Satellite System that is used to provide accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and region extending to 1500 km around India. Till date, India has launched four regional navigational satellites IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and I D, as part of a constellation of seven satellites.

The 48 hour countdown for the launch of the rocket PSLV-C31 begins this morning at Sriharikota. The senior scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO gave their approval for the countdown to begin at 9-hours-31 minutes today after a thorough review of the preparedness at the spaceport. The rocket will carry the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite Systems, IRNSS-1E at the same time on Wednesday. <br/><br/>It is the fifth in the series of seven satellites meant for navigation system. AIR correspondent reports, the system will be the Indian equivalent of the Global Positioning System GPS and provide road, air and maritime navigation services over a vast area when all the seven satellites are made operational. <br/><br/>The PSLV-C31 will be the first mission to be undertaken by ISRO this year. Its passenger IRNSS-1E will be complementing the four other satellites of its class that are already in operation in space. The ISRO has said two more satellites under the system would be made functional by the end of March this year. <br/><br/>With the earlier four satellites in space, standard positioning information of moving and non-moving objects are being gathered for 18 hours a day with the accuracy of 20 meters. ISRO says, when the other two satellites are also readied, it will be a non-stop flow of data with still better accuracy over a very large area.

The 48 hour countdown for the launch of the rocket PSLV-C31 begins this morning at Sriharikota. The senior scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO gave their approval for the countdown to begin at 9-hours-31 minutes today after a thorough review of the preparedness at the spaceport. The rocket will carry the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite Systems, IRNSS-1E at the same time on Wednesday. <br/><br/>It is the fifth in the series of seven satellites meant for navigation system. AIR correspondent reports, the system will be the Indian equivalent of the Global Positioning System GPS and provide road, air and maritime navigation services over a vast area when all the seven satellites are made operational. <br/><br/>The PSLV-C31 will be the first mission to be undertaken by ISRO this year. Its passenger IRNSS-1E will be complementing the four other satellites of its class that are already in operation in space. The ISRO has said two more satellites under the system would be made functional by the end of March this year. <br/><br/>With the earlier four satellites in space, standard positioning information of moving and non-moving objects are being gathered for 18 hours a day with the accuracy of 20 meters. ISRO says, when the other two satellites are also readied, it will be a non-stop flow of data with still better accuracy over a very large area.