On May 29, 2023, the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its next edition of the navigational satellite NavIC from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The Navigation with the Indian Constellation satellite will lift on board the GSLV (Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle) Mk-II at 10:42 AM as India plans to strengthen its homegrown navigational system.
The regional navigation satellite system called NavIC is a constellation of seven satellites that work with a 24×7 network of ground stations while orbiting the Earth in a geostationary orbit. The satellites IRNSS-1A, IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1C, IRNSS-1D, IRNSS-1E, IRNSS-1F and IRNSS-1G satellites.
ISRO has said that NavIC offers two services Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service for strategic users, including the military.
The system can be used in terrestrial, aerial, and marine transportation, location-based services, personal mobility, resources monitoring surveying and geodesy scientific research, time dissemination and synchronization and safety of life alert dissemination.
It is worth mentioning that the NavIC operates in the L5 Band, which is a protected frequency specifically assigned to the Indian Systems. This dedicated frequency enhances the robustness and ensures minimal interference from other signals.
In contrast, the GPS operates in the L1 Band, which is shared with several other navigation systems worldwide.
GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation ) enhances the system’s accuracy by integrating data from additional ground-based reference stations. This augmentation system improves the overall reliability and performance of the navigational signals.
On April 12, 2018, ISRO successfully launched the IRNSS-1A navigation satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
