India On its Way to Its Own GPS System

20 Mar 2014

India begins development of its own GPS system for navigation and real-time positioning.

Currently, the United State’s Global Positioning System (GPS) is ahead as far as satellite transmissions, accuracy, and reliability for GPS tracking and navigation. However, India is on board to establish its own satellite system, called the Satellite Based Navigation System (SBNS) to provide navigation and real-time positioning to users throughout the nation.

Several countries have been creating alternatives to the GPS satellite systems or alongside GPS, in hopes they can have an alternative satellite positioning system. Other country satellites include the GLONASS system in Russia and the Beidou service in China, as well as Galileo positioning system service throughout Europe.

The first of India’s satellites will be the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Launched July 1, 2013, IRNSS-1A was the first satellite in the IRNSS. It is one of the seven satellites to constitute the IRNSS space segment. India officials have stated that they plan to have all 7 satellites launched in 18 months, with service on all 7 between 2015 and 2016.

This first IRNSS satellite launched on the PSLV-C22, a polar satellite launch vehicle, from the launch pad in  Sriharkota, Andhra Pradesh. The new IRNSS-1A satellite system will also have a space segment includes signals in space and constellation of satellites, a user segment and a ground segment. The segments together help provide better accuracy, and all-weather conditions for ships, observation ports, and airlines. IRNSS-1A was tested in orbit for several months once it launched.

All told, India has launched 73 satellites as of January of this year, including a first-of-its-kind for India 450 core Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) launched in November. The 450 core Mars orbiter stands to help pursue India’s technological capabilities to reach orbits in Mars.

The new India satellite system is being designed and launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). K Radhakrishnan, chairman of the ISRO, told reporters the country’s satellite systems will provide Standard Positioning Service to civilians, with restricted service to be used by their government and military.

Radhakrishnan told reporters of the first IRNSS-1A launch, “We are preparing to launch the first of the navigation satellites constellation in June 2013 to provide position accuracy better than 10 metres over India and the region extending up to 1,500km around the sub-continent.” He followed up saying:  “The constellation system provides two basic services: standard positioning service for civilian users and restricted service for authorized users.”

India currently holds the largest constellation of remote satellites for civilian domains. Their three main focuses are on cartography, oceanography and environment, and land and water. This also includes meteorology and weather monitoring. The next Geo-Stationary Satellite is expected to launch on May, 1, 2014.


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