News Highlight
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on a series of improvements to NavIC, or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
Key Takeaway
- Though available for use in mainland India and within 1,500 km around it the system is not in wide regular use in India primarily because mobile phones have not been made compatible to process its signals.
- The Indian government has been pressing manufacturers to add compatibility and has set a deadline of January 2023.
What IS NavIC?
- About:
- NavIC, or Navigation with Indian Constellation, is an independent, stand-alone navigation satellite system developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- Satellites:
- NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), or the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is a constellation of seven satellites.
- It covers the whole of India’s landmass and up to 1,500 km (930 miles) from its boundaries.
- Three satellites are in Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
- Four satellites are in inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO).
- Current applications:
- Currently, NavIC’s use is limited.
- It is being used in India:
- Public vehicle tracking.
- Providing emergency warning alerts to fishermen.
- Tracking and providing information related to natural disasters.
- Services:
- Standard Positioning Service (SPS) is meant for the general public.
- Restricted Service (RS) is an encrypted service for authorised users and agencies.
- India’s position:
- India became the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by the International Maritime Organisation(IMO).
- The other countries with navigation systems are the US, Russia and China.
Global Navigation systems:
- The Global Positioning System (GPS):
- It is a satellite-based radio navigation system owned by the United States government.
- The GPS caters to users across the globe.
- Its satellites circle the earth twice a day.
- Galileo:
- It’s a global navigation satellite system created by the European Union through the European Space Agency.
- GLONASS:
- It is a Russian satellite navigation system operating as part of a radio navigation-satellite service.
- The Glonass Program started back in 1976 when development was initiated.
- The first Glonass launch occurred in 1982, and the constellation became fully operational in 1995.
- Glonass-K2 and KM satellites are under development.
- Beidou:
- The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System is a Chinese satellite navigation system.
- It consists of two separate satellite constellations.
- QZSS:
- The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, also known as Michibiki, is a four-satellite regional time transfer system and a satellite-based augmentation system developed by Japan.
Content Source: The Hindu