Why is Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) needed? How does it help in navigation?
Subtopic: Geography · satellite navigation (IRNSS/NavIC)
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Detailed model answer
188 words · target 150 words · 9 min
Why IRNSS is needed
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), operationally named NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) and built by ISRO, gives India strategic autonomy in positioning and navigation. The impetus came from the denial of GPS data by the United States during the 1999 Kargil conflict, which underlined the risk of depending on foreign systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou for critical civilian and defence needs.
How it aids navigation
- A constellation of seven satellites, in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits, covers India and about 1,500 km around it, giving position accuracy better than 20 metres over the region.
- It transmits in dual frequency (L5 and S-band) and offers a civilian Standard Positioning Service and an encrypted Restricted Service for authorised and military users.
- Applications span terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, vehicle and fleet tracking, precise timing for telecom and power grids, disaster management, mapping, and safety alerts to fishermen at sea.
By providing indigenous, all-weather positioning over the region, NavIC strengthens both national security and everyday civilian services, and reduces reliance on systems controlled by other states. It also supports emerging uses in aviation, precision agriculture and geodetic surveys.
What an examiner expects to see
- IRNSS (operational name NavIC), built by ISRO, gives India strategic autonomy in positioning and navigation.
- Trigger: denial of GPS data by the US during the 1999 Kargil conflict exposed the risk of relying on foreign systems.
- Reduces dependence on GPS (US), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (EU) and BeiDou (China).
- A constellation of seven satellites covers India and ~1,500 km around it with position accuracy better than 20 metres.
- Offers a civilian Standard Positioning Service and an encrypted Restricted Service for the military.
- Applications: terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, fleet tracking, precise timing, disaster management, mapping and fishermen alerts.
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- GPS denial to India during the 1999 Kargil conflict
- Seven-satellite IRNSS constellation in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits
- NVS-01 modernisation satellite (2023); NavIC integration in smartphones and fishing-boat devices