IRNSS-1C

IRNSS-1C was the third of seven satellites constituting the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), later renamed Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC). It was launched on October 16, 2014, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C26).

IRNSS-1C was designed to provide position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services over India and a region extending approximately 1500 km around it. Like the other IRNSS satellites, it featured both L5-band (1176.45 MHz) and S-band (2492.028 MHz) transponders for broadcasting navigation signals. These signals are used by user receivers to determine their location through trilateration, similar to GPS.

The satellite had a designed lifespan of 10 years. It was positioned in a geosynchronous orbit (GSO) inclined at 29 degrees to the equator, which is different from the geostationary orbits (GEO) of some other satellites. This orbital configuration, along with the other IRNSS satellites, was chosen to optimize signal availability and accuracy over the Indian subcontinent.

IRNSS-1C contributed to the overall performance and reliability of the NavIC system. However, like some of its sister satellites, it experienced atomic clock failures, which ultimately impacted the accuracy of the NavIC system and necessitated the launch of replacement satellites. Despite these issues, IRNSS-1C played a significant role in establishing and maturing India's independent regional navigation capability.