India’s eighth navigation satellite imploded shortly after lift off on Thursday, state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India&rsquo-s eighth navigation satellite imploded shortly after lift off on Thursday, state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
The IRNSS-1H satellite had been expected to join seven others in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) to take the country a step further to developing its own global positioning system.
&ldquo-Satellite got separated internally but it imploded within the heat shield, in the fourth stage itself,&rdquo- ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar told reporters in a televised news conference.
The heat shield is meant to protect the satellite from the heat generated by the friction against atmosphere during take-off. Once a satellite is placed into orbit, it is expected to separate and fall off.
The IRNSS-1H satellite had been released from the Sriharikota Space Centre in southern India.
IRNSS helps navigate the country&rsquo-s aerial and marine routes, as well as aid disaster management and vehicle tracking up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) around the mainland.
However, India lags behind the United States&rsquo- GPS, Russia&rsquo-s GLONASS, Europe&rsquo-s Galileo and China&rsquo-s Beidou systems that have dozens of satellites to provide information across the globe.