India has completed the mission for developing its own navigation system, along the lines of the US’s Global Position System. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the IRNSS-1G, the last in a series of seven navigation satellites that make up the constellation.
IRNSS-1G was launched on PSLV-C33 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the Sriharikota Island at 12.50 p.m. today. With the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the country has joined the league of five other countries or blocs with their own navigational systems, including the US, Russia, China, and the European Union. Until now, India had been largely using the GPS developed by the US.
The IRNSS will provide information to people in India, and up to 1,500 km around the mainland. It will also give standard position service (SPS) within an accuracy of less than 20 metres to all users, and a restricted service (RS) with an accuracy of 10 metres to the military.
The first six regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A. 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F) were successfully launched by ISRO between 2013 and March 2016, as part of the constellation of satellites. The total cost of the seven satellites is Rs 14.2 billion. The entire system comprises nine satellites, with seven in orbit and two for back-up.
WATCH: PSLV-C33 carrying India's seventh navigation satellite IRNSS-1G blasts off from the spaceport of Sriharikotahttps://t.co/blNrhT2fAh
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 28, 2016
When the IRNSS becomes operational in a month, it will enable terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, vehicle tracking and fleet management, terrestrial navigation for travellers, disaster management, mapping and geodetic data capture. It can be integrated with mobile phones and provide visual and voice navigation for drivers. The navigation system will also be used for defence, including missile delivery and navigation and tracking of aircrafts.
