SECOND-GENERATION NAVIC SATELLITE
1. Context
Recently, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the first of the second-generation satellites for its navigation constellation successfully.
The 2, 232 kg satellite, the heaviest in the constellation was launched by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket that lifted off from Sriharikota.
2. What is NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation)?
- NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), formerly known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is India's indigenous satellite-based navigation system developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- It has been designed to provide accurate positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services across India and the surrounding region. NavIC was created to ensure that India has an independent and reliable navigation capability without depending on foreign systems such as the United States' GPS, Russia's GLONASS, Europe's Galileo, or China's BeiDou.
- The need for an indigenous navigation system became evident after the 1999 Kargil conflict, when access to GPS data was restricted by the United States.
- This highlighted the strategic importance of having a sovereign navigation system that could provide uninterrupted services during emergencies, natural disasters, or military operations.
- In response, India initiated the IRNSS project, which later became operational and was renamed NavIC, meaning "navigator" in Sanskrit.
- NavIC operates through a constellation of satellites placed in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO). Unlike GPS, whose satellites are located in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), NavIC's satellites remain positioned over or near the Indian region, allowing them to provide stronger and more reliable signals to users in India.
- The system offers coverage over the entire Indian territory and extends up to about 1,500 kilometres beyond India's borders, ensuring continuous navigation support for neighbouring regions and surrounding seas.
- The system provides two categories of services. The Standard Positioning Service (SPS) is freely available to all civilian users and supports everyday navigation through smartphones, vehicles, marine vessels, disaster management, surveying, agriculture, and mapping applications.
- The Restricted Service (RS) is an encrypted, high-accuracy service reserved for authorised users such as the Indian Armed Forces and strategic agencies, ensuring secure navigation and precise targeting during defence operations.
- NavIC delivers location accuracy of better than 20 metres over most of its coverage area and also provides highly accurate timing information.
- Besides navigation, the system is widely used for vehicle tracking, fleet management, emergency response, fisheries, railway safety, aviation, maritime navigation, disaster warning dissemination, telecommunications, and synchronisation of critical infrastructure such as banking and power grids.
- One of NavIC's major strengths is its role in enhancing India's strategic autonomy. Since the entire system is owned, operated, and controlled by India, it cannot be denied or degraded by foreign countries during times of conflict. This makes NavIC a crucial component of India's national security architecture while simultaneously supporting civilian economic activities.
- To further strengthen the system, ISRO has launched second-generation NavIC satellites equipped with improved navigation payloads, enhanced atomic clocks, and support for the L1 frequency in addition to the existing L5 and S bands.
- The inclusion of the L1 signal improves compatibility with commercial smartphones, wearable devices, and global navigation receivers, facilitating wider public adoption.
- As more smartphones and navigation devices become NavIC-enabled, the system is expected to play an increasingly significant role in transportation, logistics, precision agriculture, disaster management, and the broader Digital India ecosystem.
3. What is the significance of NavIC?
- The significance of NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) lies in the fact that it provides India with an independent, accurate, and reliable satellite navigation system that serves both strategic and civilian purposes. It is much more than a navigation service; it is a symbol of India's technological self-reliance and an essential component of the country's critical infrastructure.
- One of the most important aspects of NavIC is that it ensures strategic autonomy. Until the development of NavIC, India depended largely on foreign navigation systems such as GPS for positioning and timing services.
- During times of conflict or geopolitical tensions, access to such systems could potentially be restricted or degraded. By operating its own satellite navigation network, India ensures uninterrupted access to navigation services for its armed forces and strategic agencies, thereby strengthening national security and defence preparedness.
- NavIC also plays a crucial role in disaster management and emergency response. During floods, cyclones, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, accurate location information helps authorities coordinate rescue operations, monitor affected areas, and deliver relief efficiently.
- The system also supports the dissemination of early warning messages, particularly to fishermen and coastal communities, helping save lives during extreme weather events.
- In the transportation sector, NavIC contributes to safer and more efficient navigation. It supports road transport through vehicle tracking, fleet management, and intelligent transport systems.
- In railways, it enhances train monitoring and safety systems, while in aviation and maritime sectors, it provides reliable navigation for aircraft and ships operating within its coverage area. This improves operational efficiency and reduces the risk of accidents.
- NavIC is equally important for economic development and digital infrastructure. Precise positioning and timing information are essential for sectors such as telecommunications, banking, financial transactions, power grid synchronisation, logistics, precision agriculture, surveying, and mapping. By providing dependable timing services, NavIC supports critical infrastructure that underpins the modern economy
4. Significance of the atomic clock on board the NVS-01 payload
- Several of the existing satellites stopped providing location data after their onboard atomic clocks failed this was the main reason for the launch of the replacement satellite in 2018.
- Since a satellite-based positioning system determines the location of objects by accurately measuring the time it takes for a signal to travel to and back from it using the atomic clocks on board, the failure of clocks means the satellites are no longer able to provide accurate locations.
- Currently, only four IRNSS satellites can provide location services, according to ISRO officials.
- The other satellites can only be used for messaging services such as providing disaster warnings or potential fishing zone messages for fishermen.
5. The age of the satellites
- This is the second major concern, besides the failing atomic clocks.
- IRNSS-1A was launched into orbit on July 1, 2013, and the 1B and 1C satellites were launched the following year.
- 1A is almost defunct- the failed 1H mission of 2018 was intended to replace this satellite and all the three oldest satellites in the constellation are close to the end of their 10-year mission lives.
- At least three new satellites must be put into orbit to keep the seven-satellite constellation fully functional.
6. NAvIC constellation
- ISRO has been criticised by experts for not focussing on the development of the user segment until very late in the life of some of the satellites in the constellation.
- No receivers were developed for the NavIC system, even though the satellites were sending signals.
A 2018 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said that even though the Cabinet cleared funding of Rs 200 crores to develop user receivers in 2006, work on the project started only in March 2017, by which time seven launches had already taken place. - The receivers have now been developed and NavIC is in use for projects like public vehicle safety, power grid synchronisation, real-time train information systems and fishermen's safety.
- Other upcoming initiatives such as common alert protocol-based emergency warning, time dissemination, geodetic network, and unmanned aerial vehicles are in the process of adopting the NavIC system.
- Some cell phone chipsets such as the ones built by Qualcomm and Media Tek integrated NavIC receivers in 2019.
- The Ministry of Electronics and IT is in talks with smartphone companies to urge them to make their handsets NavIC compatible.
7. Advantage of having a regional navigation system
- India is the only country that has a regional satellite-based navigation system.
- There are four global satellite-based navigation systems the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS (GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema), the European Galileo and the Chinese Beidou.
- Japan has a four-satellite system that can augment GPS signals over the country, similar to India's GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation).
- Once fully operational with ground stations outside India for better triangulation of signals NavIC open signals will be accurate up to 5 meters and restricted signals will be even more accurate.
- GPS signals by contrast are accurate up to around 20 meters. Work is underway to set up ground stations in Japan, France and Russia.
- NavIC provides coverage over the Indian landmass and up to a radius of 1, 500 km around it.
- In this region, NavIC signals will likely be available in even hard-to-reach areas.
- Unlike GPS, NavIC uses satellites in high geo-stationery orbit the satellites move at a constant speed relative to Earth, so they are always looking over the same region on Earth.
- NavIC signals come to India at a 90-degree angle, making it easier for them to reach devices located even in congested areas, dense forests or mountains.
- GPS Signals are received over India at an angle.
- With the use of NavIC picking up, the government has been looking at the possibility of increasing the coverage area of the system.
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For Prelims: NavIC, Indian Space Research Organisation, GSLV, PSLV, IRNSS, GLONASS, GPS, GAGAN, Galileo, Beidou,
For Mains:
1. What is NavIC? Explain the advantage of having a regional navigation system. (250 Words)
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Previous Year Questions
1. With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements: (UPSC 2018)
1. IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
2. IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.
3. India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only B. 1 and 2 only C. 2 and 3 only D. None
Answer: A
2. Full form of NavIC is : (CGPSC 2022)
A. Navigation without International Control
B. Navigation with Indian Constellation
C. Navigation with Indian Coastal
D. Navigation with Indian Cooperation
Answer: B
3. ISRO is related to (SSC JE EE 2020)
A. space research
B. agricultural research
C. seed research
D. marine research
Answer: A
4. With reference to India's satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2018)
1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a four- staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 C. 1 and 2 D. 3 only
Answer: A
5. In which of the following areas can GPS technology be used? (UPSC 2018)
1. Mobile phone operations
2. Banking operations
3. Controlling the power grids
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1 only B. 2 and 3 only C. 1 and 3 only D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
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Source: The Indian Express
