India Thursday successfully launched a navigation satellite from the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, a top space official said.
The home-made satellite, IRNSS 1C, launched on board Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s PSLV C26 rocket, is the third in the series of seven satellites ISRO is planning to launch to put in place what is called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, which will eventually make up India's equivalent of United States' Global Positioning System (GPS).
"India has successfully launched IRNSS 1C. The entire ISRO team deserves congratulations," the space agency chief K. Radhakrishnan told the media.
ISRO aims at putting the other four navigation satellites by next year.
The first two satellites, IRNSS 1A and IRNSS 1B, were launched in July 2013 and April this year respectively.