India today entered an exclusive club of nations to have their own satellite navigation and positioning system with the launch of IRNSS-1G. The Indian space agency Isro today successfully placed country's seventh navigation satellite. With the successful launch, India doesn't have to depend on a foreign power when it comes to military navigation now.
With the complete system in place, Indian armed forces will be able to find their position accurately in the battle ground and direct ammunition and missiles deep into enemy territory, thanks to the extended range of 1,500 km of the system beyond the borders. The system can also be used for civilian navigation for aircraft, ships, railways and others.
The system will also provide terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers along with visual and voice navigation for drivers. And it can also be integrated into phones. Other civilian applications include mapping, disaster management, and vehicle and fleet management, said experts.
Prime Minister, who watched the launch from his office through a direct telecast, wished the Isro scientists and thanked them during his 11 minutes speech to the nation. In his speech he briefed how the entire system will help.
"Till today, we were relying on other countries for GPS system. Today we are self sustained. We will decide our path, how to go, where to go and how to reach, we will decide with our own technology. Indian scientists has given a precious gift to the 125 crore people in the country".
He added,, in space science, our scientists have achieved many accomplishments. Through space science lives of people can be transformed. Today's launch is an example of Make in India, Made in India and Made for Indians. The 125 crore Indians have got a new Navic, said the Prime Minister.
"Our GPS system will be known as Navic, in the world and the services will be known under this name, on behalf of the crores of poor fishermen and sailors in the country. This will be our own Navic," he said.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh said this is historic launch which is 100 per cent MakeinIndia.
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IRNSS is similar to the global positioning system (GPS) of the US (24 satellites), Glonass of Russia, and Galileo of Europe as well as China's Beidou.
The 44.4 metre, 320 tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C33), which carried the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-IRNSS-1G, blasted off at 12.50 p.m. on Thursday from
Sriharikota space station near Chennai.
Just over 20 minutes and 19 seconds into the flight, aat an altitude of 497 km above the earth surface, the satellite was separated and was injected into the transfer orbit. The satellite's life span is expected to be about 12 years and has two payloads for navigation and ranging.
The navigation payload of IRNSS-1G will transmit navigation service signals to the users. This payload will be operating in L5-band and S-band. A highly accurate rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload of the satellite.
The ranging payload of IRNSS-1G consists of a C-band transponder (automatic receivers and transmitters of radio signals) which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite.
According to ISRO the applications of IRNSS are: terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, vehicle tracking and fleet management, terrestrial navigation for hikers and travellers, disaster management, integration with mobile phones, mapping and geodetic data capture and visual and voice navigation for drivers.
Apart from the civilian usage, the IRNSS will be used for defence purposes as well.
Till date, India has launched six regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID,1E and 1F) as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 kms.
Though the full system comprises nine satellites -- seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by, the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites.
Each satellite costs about Rs 150 crore and the PSLV-XL version rocket costs about Rs 130 crore. The seven rockets would entail an outlay of about Rs 910 crore.
According to ISRO, with the operationalisation of six IRNSS satellites, the proof of concept of an independent regional navigation satellite system over India has been demonstrated for the targeted position accuracy of better than 20 metres over 24 hours of the day.
