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India Successfully Launches Region-Specific Navigation Satellite

Posted by timothy on from the gps-for-certain-values-of-g dept.

vasanth writes India has successfully launched IRNSS-1C, the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), early on October 16. This is the 27th consecutively successful mission of the PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). The entire constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015. The satellite is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in the country as well as in the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area. In the Kargil war in 1999, the Indian military sought GPS data for the region from the U.S. The space-based navigation system maintained by the U.S. government would have provided vital information, but the U.S. denied it to India. A need for an indigenous satellite navigation system was felt earlier, but the Kargil experience made India realise its inevitability in building its own navigation system. "Geopolitical needs teach you that some countries can deny you the service in times of conflict. It's also a way of arm twisting and a country should protect itself against that," said S Ramakrishnan, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

5 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Good job, India! by war4peace · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What the fuck.
    How many countries have their own, in-house built GPS solutions?

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  2. Re: How many GPS systems are there? by dwheeler · · Score: 4, Informative

    I know of at least the following systems that exist or are being built: GPS (United States), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (planned, European Union), Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (India), and the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (China). GPS and GLONASS, in particular, have been around a long time.

    --
    - David A. Wheeler (see my Secure Programming HOWTO)
  3. Re:Region-Specific by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Three of them yes. 3:4 in geostationary vs geosynchronous orbit of 1 sidereal day.
    So, three will always be visible over india. Two of the other other four will be timed such that they are over India in a 24 hour period.
    So, 5 satellites will provide a fix.
    Hope that helps.

  4. Re: How many GPS systems are there? by war4peace · · Score: 4, Informative

    Therefore, from the in-house GPS perspective, india is in top 5 countries. I'd say that's quite an achievement.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  5. Re:Region-Specific by plover · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You jest, but it's a real problem they are solving by creating their own Indian standard time infrastructure.

    The entire system is being designed, built, launched, flown, and operated in India, by Indians, with absolutely no foreign dependencies. Having been burned more than a few times in their short existence by various nations who disagreed with their internal decisions, they take their independence very seriously. This is slightly different than the average American who pretty much takes their own independence for granted these days.

    --
    John